Parenchymal and inflammatory responses to ozone exposure in the aging healthy and surfactant protein C mutant lung

Environmental stress and genetic mutations in key functional nodes are linked to the pathogenesis and exacerbation of respiratory pathologies. These responses are exacerbated by aging, though the impact of these factors in combination is not clearly defined. Using a surfactant protein-C mutant line, our studies describe structural changes and phenotypic responses triggered by acute ozone exposure in the young/middle-aged/old lung. Spatial transcriptomics also found regionally distinct and enhanced activation in the aged lung.