This NIH-funded project aims to look at the toxicodynamic effects due to inhaled silver and carbon nanoparticles (NP) in the respiratory system. The modeling started in mice and is continuing development in rats and will be further extended for humans. This toxicodynamic model focuses on multiple scales of the respiratory system from the alveolar cells to the surfactant layer to the respiratory airway to quantify mechanistically the entire gamut of processes concerned. These processes include airway deposition, surfactant binding, surfactant regulation, cellular uptake, and finally immune responses.

The model implemented for mice has been published and the full article can be accessed here:

Mukherjee D et al. (2013). Computational multiscale toxicodynamic modeling of silver and carbon nanoparticle effects on mouse lung function. PLoS One 8(12)