Mission Statement of the EAA-Working Group PARTICLE-LUNG-INTERACTION (PLI)

Exposure to ambient aerosol particles is unavoidable and may lead to adverse health effects. Among the different entrance ways into the human organism, inhalation is by far the most important exposure route, although nano-particles may also enter the organism through other pathways including the skin and the gastrointestinal tract. Once particles have entered the organism either through the lungs or other entrance ways their fate is determined by the defence mechanisms of the organism, the mobility of the particles within the organism and the interaction between the particles and the organism. Hence, the main focus of this EAA working group are issues related to particle lung deposition and clearance as well as the biological response to particle exposure and migration of particles within the organism on a cellular and systemic level. This includes topics such as:

Particle lung deposition, clearance and translocation to other organs Lung morphology and (patho-)physiology Dosimetry and detection of particles in organisms, tissues and cells Biological response of organisms, cells and proteins to particle exposure Particle-induced health effects (toxicology, epidemiology) Bioaerosols and allergens Aerosol-based medical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery (drug carriers).

The PLI Working group is a highly interdisciplinary forum for scientific exchange and in-depth discussions welcoming contributions from diverse fields such as physics, medicine, biology, pharmacy, chemistry and engineering. We co-operate with other EAA-Working groups to discuss overlapping issues such as the nanoparticle formation, characterization and dispersion in air and liquids.