Principal Investigator(s): Carolyn Calfee

Funding Mechanism: National Institutes of Health – TCORS Grant

ID number: 9-U54HL147127-06

Award Date: 8/29/18

Institution: University of California, San Francisco

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Variation in e-cigarette characteristics may have a significant impact on pulmonary health. Changes in e-cigarette device and liquid characteristics may influence acute pulmonary effects, both under healthy conditions and in the setting of acute respiratory infection and/or inflammation. This project proposes a comprehensive assessment of the impact of e-cigarette characteristics on acute lung injury, combining data from cell culture, mouse models, and human subjects. Study aims are: (1) to test how different device characteristics (applied power and metal coil components) impact the acute pulmonary effects of e-cigarettes; and (2) to test how different e-liquid characteristics (nicotine concentration and flavorings) impact the acute pulmonary effects of e-cigarettes. Both aims begin with an evaluation of the impact of varying e-cigarette characteristics on susceptibility to viral or bacterial lung injury in cell culture and mouse models. This evaluation will be conducted with and without infectious and inflammatory stimuli, including viral (influenza) and bacterial (pneumococcal) infection. The e-cigarette characteristics that appear to be most important in these models will then be tested in a human model of lung inflammation, in which 60 healthy adult (age >21) e-cigarette users and dual cigarette/e-cigarette users inhale endotoxin, followed by bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage. Findings will yield new information regarding how specific e-cigarette device and e-liquid characteristics impact their potential to cause acute lung injury and may inform future regulatory activities.

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UCSF TCORS: Health, Behavioral and Economic Research on Tobacco Products: Related Resources

• UCSF TCORS: Integrated Health, Behavioral and Economic Research on Current and Emerging Tobacco Products
• UCSF TCORS Project 2: Short-Term Cardiovascular Effects of E-Cigarettes: Influence of Device Power and E-Liquid pH and How E-Cigarettes Compare with Heat-Not-Burn Products
• UCSF TCORS Project 3: Cardiovascular Health Effects of Emerging Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Products
• UCSF TCORS Project 4: Current and Emerging Tobacco Products in a Rural Context: Influences of Product Characteristics on Perceptions, Behaviors, and Biologic Exposures
• UCSF TCORS Project 5: Impact of Changing Tobacco Product Use on Healthcare Costs for General and Vulnerable Populations
• The original scientific abstract and other project information can be found on the NIH website.