# Modeling Cardiovascular Risks of Air Pollutants with Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular-Associated Cells (Project 3) for the Air pollution disrupts Inflammasome Regulation in

> **NIH NIH P01** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $620,156

## Abstract

ABSTRACT: PROJECT 3
Air pollution, particularly particulate matter <2.5µm (PM2.5), penetrates into lung passageways and enters the
bloodstream, causing respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular damage. Recent studies suggest that
oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and inflammation to be the central mechanisms by which PM2.5 induced damage.
However, there are still many knowledge gaps of the intricate signal pathways and mechanisms that are involved
in the cellular responses to PM2.5. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of the PM2.5-induced
structural and functional remodeling in human cardiac cells will allow us to develop novel medical approaches
that could prevent or reduce air pollution-related cardiovascular risks. Moreover, by utilizing human samples of
different race, ethnicity, and gender, this study will reveal how genetic variations affect the toxicity response to
PM2.5, further facilitating personalized medicine. In this project, we will use human induced pluripotent stem cells
(iPSCs) and 3-D engineered heart tissues (EHTs) that provide innovative opportunities for disease modeling and
drug discovery. Therefore, our specific aims are to: Aim 1. establish EHT models for the study of air pollution-
related cardiovascular risks from a racially diverse group of individuals; Aim 2. elucidate the pathological
remodelling mechanisms of EHT in response to PM2.5 treatment with functional and omics analysis; and Aim 3.
perform drug testing on EHTs and validate the effects of FDA approved drugs in prevention of air pollution-related
cardiovascular risks.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10460332
- **Project number:** 5P01HL152953-02
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph C. Wu
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $620,156
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-01 → 2023-01-13

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10460332

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10460332, Modeling Cardiovascular Risks of Air Pollutants with Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular-Associated Cells (Project 3) for the Air pollution disrupts Inflammasome Regulation in (5P01HL152953-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10460332. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*