Bio

The goal of the Bonner Lab is to explore and investigate mechanisms of environmental lung diseases (asthma, fibrosis, cancer) caused by emerging toxicants that pose a threat to human health and the environment. Our work is focused on investigating mechanisms of pulmonary toxicity caused by engineered nanomaterials (ENMs); tiny particles or fibers designed at the atomic scale that are increasingly used in a variety of consumer products. Of particular interest is determining the toxic potential of ENMs in susceptible populations and individuals with pre-existing diseases, especially asthma.

Publications

• Role of the protease-activated receptor 2 in multi-walled carbon nanotube-induced macrophage polarization ex vivo and airway fibrosis in murine allergic lung disease in vivo , Frontiers in Toxicology (2026)
• Engineered Nanomaterials in Rodent Models of Allergic Lung Disease , (2025)
• Inhibition of protease-activated receptor-2 attenuates multi-walled carbon nanotube exacerbation of allergic lung disease in mice , Particle and Fibre Toxicology (2025)
• Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) mutation attenuates airway fibrosis in mice during the exacerbation of house dust mite‑induced allergic lung disease by multi‑walled carbon nanotubes , Respiratory Research (2025)
• House Dust Mite Proteins Adsorb on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Forming an Allergen Corona That Intensifies Allergic Lung Disease in Mice , ACS Nano (2024)
• House dust mite extract forms a der p 2 corona on multi-walled carbon nanotubes: implications for allergic airway disease , Environmental Science Nano (2023)
• Role of the protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) in the exacerbation of house dust mite-induced murine allergic lung disease by multi-walled carbon nanotubes , Particle and Fibre Toxicology (2023)
• Pulmonary exposure of mice to ammonium perfluoro(2-methyl-3-oxahexanoate) (GenX) suppresses the innate immune response to carbon black nanoparticles and stimulates lung cell proliferation , Inhalation Toxicology (2022)
• Synergistic induction of IL-6 production in human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro by nickel nanoparticles and lipopolysaccharide is mediated by STAT3 and C/EBPβ , Toxicology in Vitro (2022)
• Femtosecond pulsed laser microscopy: a new tool to assess the in vitro delivered dose of carbon nanotubes in cell culture experiments , Particle and Fibre Toxicology (2021)