# Vaping has an immunosuppressive effect, rendering the lung more susceptible to microbial infections

> **NIH NIH R16** · NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $187,500

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Respiratory disease carries a significant worldwide burden of morbidity and mortality. Currently it is well
understood that tobacco smoking is a major cause of pulmonary/lung inflammation, which can progress onto
pulmonary disease. However, significantly less is known about the effects of e-cigarettes (E-cigs) on the lung.
Our study will assess whether vaped e-liquid (the actual product consumed/”vaped” by the E-cig user) exposure
renders the lung more susceptible to pulmonary distress/disease using an ex vivo human bronchial epithelial
cells (HBEC) model followed by our developed in vivo (C57BL/6J) lung injury model. We will also investigate the
immune cell populations involved in any resultant lung injury.
 Hence, the goals of the current proposal are to model lung cell immune dysfunction using HBEC (Aim
1). To assess immune cell involvement/recruitment and lung pathology post-vape exposure using our in vivo
model (Aim 2). We will then determine whether pre-exposure to e-liquid aerosol renders C57BL/6J mice more
susceptible to pulmonary distress/disease using Klebsiella pneumoniae as a pathogen challenge model (Aim
3). Completion of the proposed Aims will ultimately shed light on the possible health implications of new and
emerging tobacco products (such as E-cigs) and provide mechanistic detail on the possible initiation and
progression of lung disease in E-cig users.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10937440
- **Project number:** 1R16HL178696-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Rob U Onyenwoke
- **Activity code:** R16 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $187,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-10 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10937440

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10937440, Vaping has an immunosuppressive effect, rendering the lung more susceptible to microbial infections (1R16HL178696-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10937440. Licensed CC0.

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