Professor Hong Changwan and Professor Ryu Jihyun's Team Identifies Mechanism Promoting Allergic Reactions
The research team led by Professor Hong Changwan of the Department of Medicine at Pusan National University (President Choi Jaewon) and Professor Ryu Jihyun of the Biomedical Convergence Research Institute at Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital has drawn attention by scientifically demonstrating the serious impact of particulate matter (PM) on the immune system of the lungs.
From the left, Professor Hong Changwan, Professor Ryu Jihyun, Research Professor Cho Yuna, Dr. Kim Boyoung. Provided by Pusan National University
On April 24, the research team announced that their latest study found that long-term exposure to particulate matter disrupts the immune balance in the lungs, triggers severe inflammatory responses, and significantly increases the risk of developing allergic lung diseases.
This study was conducted as a scientific response to the increasingly severe problem of particulate matter in modern society. Particulate matter, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5, particles with a diameter of 2.5μm or less), consists of extremely small particles that remain suspended in the air and are inhaled into the human body through the respiratory tract, acting as environmental pollutants.
While some links between short-term respiratory discomfort or cardiovascular diseases and particulate matter have been revealed, there has been a lack of research on the effects of long-term exposure on the immune system of the lungs.
The Pusan National University research team exposed laboratory mice to particulate matter for 16 weeks and observed a rapid increase in inflammatory cells and severe tissue damage within the lungs. This indicated not just a simple stimulus response, but pathological changes at the tissue level. In particular, the balance of T cells?immune cells that protect the lungs?was disrupted, and a specific group of cells that trigger allergic reactions increased abnormally.
These results scientifically support that particulate matter is not merely a temporary respiratory irritant but a significant risk factor that can induce chronic inflammation and cause chronic respiratory diseases such as allergic asthma.
This study suggests that, because long-term exposure to particulate matter fundamentally alters the immune system, there is a need for more fundamental and in-depth approaches to disease prevention and policy-making aimed at minimizing exposure and protecting the immune system.
Professor Hong Changwan, who led the research, emphasized, "We should not think of the health impact of particulate matter as simply the worsening of respiratory diseases. We must recognize the seriousness of its effects on the entire immune system and respond proactively."
This paper, which addresses the impact of particulate matter on lung diseases, was published online in the international journal 'Redox Biology' on April 8.
This research was supported by the Mid-career Research Program of the Individual Research Project funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Sejong Science Fellowship Program. The study was conducted with Professor Hong Changwan of Pusan National University and Professor Ryu Jihyun of Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital as corresponding authors, and Research Professor Cho Yuna of Pusan National University Medical Research Institute and Dr. Kim Boyoung of the Biomedical Convergence Research Institute at Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital as first authors.
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