by EH
What really happens when we breathe in nanoparticles?
A new international study offers unprecedented insight into this question, revealing—for the first time through high-resolution imaging—how invisible airborne particles interact at the molecular level with human lung cells. The findings, published in the journal ACS Nano, are the result of cutting-edge research at the intersection of biology, nanotechnology, and imaging science, with significant implications for both public health and environmental policy.
Nanoparticles, defined as particles smaller than 100 nanometers—about a thousand times thinner than a human hair—can originate from natural sources or be produced by human activity. Due to their microscopic size, they can travel deep into the respiratory system and interact directly with lung tissues. Scientists have long suspected that such interactions could contribute to inflammation, tissue damage, fibrosis, or even cancer. Yet, until now, visualizing these processes in real detail has remained elusive.
To investigate, researchers employed an advanced technique known as correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM), which combines multiple forms of microscopy to provide both structural and functional views of biological samples. This integrative approach allows scientists to map the precise pathways and effects of nanoparticles within lung cells.
The study was led by an international team coordinated by Radoslav Podlipec and supported by Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste SCpA, a multidisciplinary research center in northeastern Italy. The team’s work marks a major step forward in understanding how nanoparticles behave once they enter the human body—and how that behavior might influence disease development.
According to the authors, the ability to visualize these interactions in such detail opens new avenues for medical and environmental research. “Only by understanding how nanoparticles interact with our tissues can we begin to design safer materials and implement more effective protective policies,” said Podlipec.
As exposure to airborne nanoparticles continues to rise in urban and industrial areas, the study underscores the need for more stringent air quality monitoring and further research into the long-term effects of nanoparticle inhalation.
While the full health implications are still under investigation, this new window into the microscopic world inside our lungs is already reshaping how scientists approach one of the more elusive threats of modern life: the air we breathe.
