NIH R01 · 2025
Metabolic Mechanisms of Naphthalene Toxicity in Lung
Naphthalene (NA) is a ubiquitous and highly abundant pollutant found in vehicle exhaust, fossil fuels and wildfire smoke. NA causes nasal and lung toxicity, including tumors, in rats and mice, respectively, and is a possible human carcinogen. The mechanism of NA carcinogenicity, which may involve both genotoxic and non- genotoxic events, is not clear and may involve several reactive NA metabolites. A prerequisite for NA toxicity is bioactivation by cytochrome P450 (CYP) to form NA-epoxide (NAO) which can undergo further metabolism in the lung and liver to 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ). Both NAO and 1,2-NQ can react with DNA. We have recently uncovered a significant contribution of…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.