Scientists at Trinity College Dublin and the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health just published the study, which combined human lung cells and mice to gauge the impact of carbon black nano-sized silicon dioxide particles. They found that exposure to the nanoparticles sparked a response in both human cells and rodents: the amino acid arginine changed into citrulline.
That’s important because the proteins that use this now-modified amino acid as building materials instead get broken down by the body. This can then trigger an attack from the immune system, prompting autoimmune responses that cause conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Read more on the New Haven Independent
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