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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease I: Introduction

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Related Experiment Video

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In vitro Cannabis Exposures of Lung Epithelial Cells at the Air-Liquid Interface

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[Environmental exposome and interstitial lung diseases].

Julien Guiot¹, Fanny Gester¹, Anne-Noëlle Frix¹

¹Service de Pneumologie, CHU Liège, Belgique.

Revue Medicale De Liege

|June 8, 2026

Summary

Environmental exposures like fine particulate matter significantly contribute to interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Understanding the exposome is key to addressing these increasing pulmonary disorders.

Keywords:

Environment Exposome Interstitial lung diseases

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Area of Science:

Environmental Health
Pulmonology
Toxicology

Background:

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a growing group of lung disorders.
Environmental factors, known as the exposome, are increasingly recognized as key drivers of ILDs.
Occupational exposures and air pollutants are major contributors to ILD development and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the role of the environmental exposome in the pathogenesis of ILDs.
To highlight the interaction between environmental agents and individual susceptibility in ILDs.
To provide an integrative framework for understanding complex ILD etiologies.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on environmental exposures and ILDs.
Analysis of mechanisms including oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrotic activation.
Discussion of specific ILDs linked to environmental factors.

Main Results:

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air pollutants, and occupational dusts are implicated in ILD initiation and exacerbation.
These agents induce cellular damage via oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis.
Infections and the lung microbiome also play a role in ILD pathophysiology.

Conclusions:

The exposome concept offers a comprehensive approach to understanding ILDs.
Individual susceptibility interacts with environmental factors to influence ILD risk.
Further research is needed on the long-term effects of ultrafine particles on lung health.