PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1652263
Toward the Application of Metallothionein Inducers as a Method of Prevention of Air Pollutant-Dependent Lung Injury
Provisionally accepted
- Musashino University, Nishi-tokyo, Japan
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Although Sustainable Development Goal 3.9 states the global goal of reducing air pollution-related death and disease, innovative ways to reduce air pollution-related deaths and diseases have not yet been established. To address this issue, we have established animal models using urban air dust containing the major air pollutants, suspended particulate matter (PM10) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and are promoting research to discover protective factors in the respiratory tract where air pollutants first reach the human body. Therefore, in this Perspective manuscript, we provide an overview of our research on the preventive effects of the endogenous protein metallothionein on air pollutant-dependent lung injury and prospects for the clinical application of metallothionein inducers. We hope that this manuscript will help to solve health hazards caused by air pollution.
Keywords: Metallothionein, antioxidant, Endogenous protein, Oxidative Stress, PM2.5, Lung Injury
Received: 27 Jun 2025; Accepted: 18 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tanaka. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ken-ichiro Tanaka, Musashino University, Nishi-tokyo, Japan
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