Poster, SOT 65th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 22–25, 2026, in San Diego, California.
Yubin Han1, Ga Eun Kim2, Jung Eun Lim2,3, Ji Yeong Park2,3, In Jae Bang1, Ha Ryong Kim2,3
1 Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Translational Research, Korea University Republic of Korea
2 College of Pharmacy, Korea University, Sejong, 30019, Republic of Korea
3 Interdisciplinary major Program in Innovative Pharmaceutical Science, Korea University, Republic of Korea
*Co-Corresponding author: In jae Bang
Introduction
Assessing the respiratory health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) requires test systems that closely replicate human inhalation exposure. In a recent study, researchers from Korea University investigated the effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its replacement compound GenX using advanced 3D human airway tissue models under air-liquid interface conditions.
By applying aerosolized compounds with a VITROCELL® exposure system, the team was able to simulate realistic inhalation scenarios beyond conventional submerged exposure methods. Transcriptomic analysis revealed limited effects in healthy tissues, whereas asthmatic models showed pronounced alterations in pathways associated with allergic inflammation and airway remodeling.
These findings highlight the importance of disease-relevant in vitro models for inhalation toxicology and provide valuable data to support future risk assessment and regulatory evaluation of PFAS compounds.
