Martin J D Clift

Swansea University | SWAN · Institute of Life Science "ILS"

Due to the current relevance of pulmonary toxicology (with focus upon air pollution and the inhalation of hazardous materials), it is important to further develop and implement physiologically relevant models of the entire respiratory tract. Lung model development has the aim to create human relevant systems that may replace animal use whilst balan...

Air-liquid interface (ALI) lung cell models cultured on permeable transwell inserts are increasingly used for respiratory hazard assessment requiring controlled aerosolization and deposition of any material on ALI cells. The approach presented herein aimed to assess the transwell insert-delivered dose of aerosolized materials using the VITROCELL® C...

Engineered gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have become a useful tool in various therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Uncertainty remains regarding the possible impact of GNPs on the immune system. In this regard, we investigated the interactions of polymer-coated GNPs with B cells and their functions in mice. Surprisingly, we observed that polymer-co...

The majority of in vitro studies focusing upon particle–lung cell interactions use static models at an air–liquid interface (ALI). Advancing the physiological characteristics of such systems allows for closer resemblance of the human lung, in turn promoting 3R strategies. PATROLS (EU Horizon 2020 No. 760813) aimed to use a well-characterised in vit...

The number of publications in the field of nanogenotoxicology and the amount of genotoxicity data on nanomaterials (NMs) in several databases generated by European Union (EU) funded projects have increased during the last decade. In parallel, large research efforts have contributed to both our understanding of key physico-chemical (PC) parameters r...

In brief: Bovine granulosa cells need to be cultured with serum to generate inflammation in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide. This study shows that it is cholesterol that facilitates this lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cytokine secretion. Abstract: During bacterial infections of the bovine uterus or mammary gland, ovarian granulosa cells...

Due to the expansive application of TiO2 and its variance in physico-chemical characteristics, the toxicological profile of TiO2, in all its various forms, requires evaluation. This study aimed to assess the hazard of five TiO2 particle-types in relation to their cytotoxic profile correlated to their cellular interaction, specifically in human lymp...

Exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENM) poses a potential health risk to humans through long-term, repetitive low-dose exposures. Currently, this is not commonplace within in vitro lung cell cultures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to consider the optimal exposure approach toward determining the stability, sensitivity and validity of u...

The European Green Deal outlines ambitions to build a more sustainable, climate neutral, and circular economy by 2050. To achieve this, the European Commission has published the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: Towards a Toxic-Free Environment, which provides targets for innovation to better protect human and environmental health, including c...

Human ENP exposure is inevitable and the novel, size-dependent physicochemical properties that enable ENPs to be beneficial in innovative technologies are concomitantly causing heightened public concerns as to their potential adverse effects upon human health. This study aims to deduce the mechanisms associated with potential ENP mediated (geno)tox...

This chapter provides an overview of the potential human health and environmental impact of nanomaterials (NMs). These unique materials can be produced naturally, incidentally or manufactured and can have numerous effects on human and ecological health. From the perspective of human health, the ultra-small nature of NMs can cause them to be highly...

Human exposure to carbon black (CB) is inevitable due to its widespread applications in the medical, industrial and consumer sectors. With an ageing population, it is imperative that the effects of (nano)particle exposure in individuals with compromised immunity or infection are considered. Since barrier immunity provides the first line of defence...

Experimental systems that faithfully replicate human physiology at cellular, tissue and organ level are crucial to the development of efficacious and safe therapies with high success rates and low cost. The development of such systems is challenging and requires skills, expertise and inputs from a diverse range of experts, such as biologists, physi...

Background: With the continued integration of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) into everyday applications, it is important to understand their potential for inducing adverse human health effects. However, standard in vitro hazard characterisation approaches suffer limitations for evaluating ENM and so it is imperative to determine these potential h...

In vitro cell models offer a unique opportunity for conducting toxicology research, and human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 is commonly used for toxicology testing strategies. It is essential to determine whether the response of these cells grown in different laboratories is consistent. In this study, A549 cells were grown under both submerged...

Bovine granulosa cells are often exposed to energy stress, due to the energy demands of lactation, and exposed to lipopolysaccharide from postpartum bacterial infections. Granulosa cells mount innate immune responses to lipopolysaccharide, including the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and production of pro-inflammatory interleu...

Faster, cheaper, sensitive, and mechanisms-based animal alternatives are needed to address the safety assessment needs of the growing number of nanomaterials (NM) and their sophisticated property variants. Specifically, strategies that help identify and prioritize alternative schemes involving individual test models, toxicity endpoints, and assays...

Nanomaterials are defined as materials with at least one dimension of 100 nm or less. Their small size confers unique properties that may alter the toxicity profile when compared to larger forms of the same material, requiring additional considerations for safety assessment. There has been a rise in the development of nanomaterials for many applica...

Background Toxicological evaluation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is essential for occupational health and safety, particularly where bulk manufactured ENMs such as few-layer graphene (FLG) are concerned. Additionally, there is a necessity to develop advanced in vitro models when testing ENMs to provide a physiologically relevant alternative t...

The book covers the area of ‘Nanotoxicology’ but primarily from the point of view of nanotoxicology at the interface with other disciplines including human toxicology; environmental toxicology; characterization, dose and transformations; regulation; public and elite group perceptions; and interactions with innovation.Nanotoxicology in Humans and th...

Following advancements in the field of genotoxicology, it has become widely accepted that 3D models are not only more physiologically relevant but also have the capacity to elucidate more complex biological processes that standard 2D monocultures are unable to. Whilst 3D liver models have been developed to evaluate the short-term genotoxicity of ch...

To elucidate the impact of human exposure to engineered nanomaterials, advanced in vitro models are a valid non‐animal alternative. Despite significant gains over the last decade, implementation of these approaches remains limited. This work discusses the current state‐of‐the‐art and how future developments can lead to advanced in vitro models bett...

Immunotherapy has yielded impressive results, but only for a minority of cancer patients. Therefore, new approaches that potentiate immunotherapy are a pressing medical need. Ferroptosis is a newly described type of programmed cell death driven by iron-dependent phospholipid peroxidation via Fenton chemistry. Here, we developed iron oxide-loaded na...

Few‐layer graphene (FLG) has garnered much interest owing to applications in hydrogen storage and reinforced nanocomposites. Consequently, these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are in high demand, increasing occupational exposure. This investigation seeks to assess the inhalation hazard of industrially relevant FLG engineered with: (i) no surface f...

Due to the rapid development and implementation of a diverse array of engineered nanomaterials (ENM), exposure to ENM is inevitable and the development of robust, predictive in vitro test systems is essential. Hepatic toxicology is key when considering ENM exposure, as the liver serves a vital role in metabolic homeostasis and detoxification as wel...

Human exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is inevitable due to the plethora of applications they are being manufactured for and integrated within. ENMs demonstrate plentiful advantages in terms of industrial approaches, as well as from a consumer perspective. However, despite such positives, doubts remain over the human health implications...

Infection of the postpartum uterus with pathogenic bacteria is associated with infertility months later in dairy cattle. However, it is unclear whether these bacterial infections lead to long-term changes in the reproductive tract that might help explain this infertility. Here we tested the hypothesis that infusion of pathogenic bacteria into the u...

It is my absolute pleasure to take up the position of Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://www [...]

The overt hazard of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is often assessed using in vitro methods, but determining a dose-response relationship is still a challenge due to the analytical difficulty of quantifying the dose delivered to cells. An approach to accurately quantify CNT doses for submerged in vitro adherent cell culture systems using UV-VIS-near-infra...

Volcanic plumes are complex environments composed of gases and ash particles, where chemical and physical processes occur at different temperature and compositional regimes. Commonly, soluble sulphate- and chloride-bearing salts are formed on ash as gases interact with ash surfaces. Exposure to respirable volcanic ash following an eruption is poten...

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are intended for use within a variety of biomedical applications due to their physicochemical properties. Although, in general, biocompatibility of GNPs with immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells is well established, the impact of GNPs on B lymphocyte immune function remains to be determined. Since B lymphoc...

In response to the significant increase in nanotechnology over the last three decades, and the plethora of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) now becoming available, understanding as to how nano-sized particles may impact upon human health has become a dominating area of research worldwide since the late 1990’s (Stone et al. in Environmental Health Pe...

Background: It is well established that toxicological evaluation of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) is vital to ensure the health and safety of those exposed to them. Further, there is a distinct need for the development of advanced physiologically relevant in vitro techniques for NM hazard prediction due to the limited predictive power of current...

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018AGUFMGH13B0942T/abstract

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/2018AGUFMGH12A..08T/abstract

ABSTRACTS VOLUME OF THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING “CITIES ON VOLCANOES 10”, MILLENIA OF STRATIFICATION BETWEEN HUMAN LIFE AND VOLCANOES: STRATEGIES FOR COEXISTENCE. Editors: Rosa Anna Corsaro, Maria Giulia Di Giuseppe, Roberto Isaia, Angela Mormone, Rosella Nave. Publisher: INGV Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy. Pages: 1126-1126. I...

Wear particles from automotive friction brake pads of various sizes, morphology, and chemical composition are significant contributors towards particulate matter. Knowledge concerning the potential adverse effects following inhalation exposure to brake wear debris is limited. Our aim was, therefore, to generate brake wear particles released from co...

Introduction: The expanding use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in various consumer and industrial products has raised concerns regarding the potential health risks following the inhalation of this nanomaterial. Recent studies indicate that MWCNT exposure can cause deleterious lung effects. Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the diseases associa...

A new family of materials comprised of cellulose, cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs), having properties and functionalities distinct from molecular cellulose and wood pulp, is being developed for applications that were once thought impossible for cellulosic materials. Commercialization, paralleled by research in this field, is fueled by the unique comb...

Communities resident in urban areas located near active volcanoes can experience volcanic ash exposures during, and following an eruption, in addition to sustained exposures to high concentrations of anthropogenic air pollutants (e.g., vehicle exhaust emissions). Inhalation of anthropogenic pollution is known to cause the onset of, or exacerbate re...

Determination of the cell type specific response is essential towards understanding the cellular mechanisms associated with disease states as well as assessing cell-based targeting of effective therapeutic agents. Recently, there have been increased calls for advanced in vitro multi-cellular models that provide reliable and valuable tools correlati...

Nanomaterials convey numerous advantages, and the past decade has seen a considerable rise in their development and production for an expanse of applications. While the potential advantages of nanomaterials are clear, concerns over the impact of human and environmental exposure exist. Concerted, science-led efforts are required to understand the ef...

BACKGROUND: A rich body of literature exists that has demonstrated adverse human health effects following exposure to ambient air particulate matter (PM), and there is strong support for an important role of ultrafine (nanosized) particles. At present, relatively few human health or epidemiology data exist for engineered nanomaterials (NMs) despite...

The aim of our study is to gain a first understanding of the effects of salt-laden ash particles (produced through simulated high-temperature in-plume processing) on respiratory health, using a 3D human lung model in vitro.

Background LiCoO2 is one of the most used cathode materials in Li-ion batteries. Its conventional synthesis requires high temperature (>800 °C) and long heating time (>24 h) to obtain the micronscale rhombohedral layered high-temperature phase of LiCoO2 (HT-LCO). Nanoscale HT-LCO is of interest to improve the battery performance as the lithium (Li⁺...

Although acute pulmonary toxicity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been extensively investigated, the knowledge of potential health effects following chronic occupational exposure is currently limited and based only upon in vivo approaches. Our aim was to realistically mimic sub-chronic inhalation of multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) in vitro, using the Air...