TY - JOUR
T1 - Potential pulmonary toxic effects of Martian dust simulant
AU - Ji, Jie
AU - Petriglieri, Jasmine R.
AU - Sompa, Shanzina
AU - Gerde, Per
AU - Linnarsson, Dag
AU - Loftus, David J.
AU - Staufer, Urs
AU - Tranfield, Erin M.
AU - van Westrenen, Wim
AU - More Authors, null
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Human exploration of the Moon and Mars will inevitably result in exposure to extraterrestrial dust. We investigated the potential pulmonary toxicity of JSC Mars-1(Martian dust simulant, respirable diameter 1.45 μm) using an advanced multicellular lung mucosa model with dust applied apically to human bronchial epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface, with doses 55, 222, and 890 μg/cm2, PBS (sham). Compared to the sham, medium and high doses of JSC Mars-1 increased necrosis-related gene HMGB1 expression. The cellular total reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of antioxidant-related genes, HMOX-1 and SOD3, increased at all dose levels. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein and gene expression increased, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) after high dose. CXCL8 mRNA was elevated at medium and high doses. TLR4 surface and gene expression decreased at medium and high doses. JSC Mars-1 dust increased cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and immune responses suggesting potential pulmonary toxic effects, providing insight to molecular mechanisms behind potential adverse respiratory effects.
AB - Human exploration of the Moon and Mars will inevitably result in exposure to extraterrestrial dust. We investigated the potential pulmonary toxicity of JSC Mars-1(Martian dust simulant, respirable diameter 1.45 μm) using an advanced multicellular lung mucosa model with dust applied apically to human bronchial epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface, with doses 55, 222, and 890 μg/cm2, PBS (sham). Compared to the sham, medium and high doses of JSC Mars-1 increased necrosis-related gene HMGB1 expression. The cellular total reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of antioxidant-related genes, HMOX-1 and SOD3, increased at all dose levels. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein and gene expression increased, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) after high dose. CXCL8 mRNA was elevated at medium and high doses. TLR4 surface and gene expression decreased at medium and high doses. JSC Mars-1 dust increased cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and immune responses suggesting potential pulmonary toxic effects, providing insight to molecular mechanisms behind potential adverse respiratory effects.
KW - Respiratory medicine
KW - Space medicine
KW - Space sciences
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105013250749&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113259
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113259
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105013250749
SN - 2589-0042
VL - 28
JO - iScience
JF - iScience
IS - 9
M1 - 113259
ER -