Smoking Influence on Neutrophils During Fracture and Tissue Recovery

• Grant number: 24/12040-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: March 15, 2025
• End date: March 14, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Toxicological Analysis
• Principal Investigator: Sandra Helena Poliselli Farsky
• Grantee: Pâmela Pacassa Borges
• Supervisor: Andreas Nussler
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/11779-8 - Toxic mechanisms of tobacco products under neutrophil production and mobilized in normal conditions and in rheumatoid arthritis, BP.DR

Abstract

Neutrophils are pivotal cells for the immunity response, that are impacted by environmental conditions that influence production, traffic, and behavior. We previously showed tobacco exposure affects granulopoiesis and peripheral blood neutrophil mobilization during rheumatoid arthritis in mice. Recent data of our lab suggest that these effects do not depend on nicotine exposure. The requested BEPE fellowship aims to continue the investigation in smoker and diabetic patients, suffering from fracture and attended at the trauma BG Kliniken Tubingen, Germany. Hence, peripheral neutrophils will be collected from smoker or non-smoker diabetic patients during the trauma and recovery phases, to assess the neutrophil phenotypes, migration behavior, secretion of chemical mediators, reactive-oxygen species formation, degranulation, and NET formation. The data obtained will show the influence of smoking on neutrophil profile and responsiveness to diabetes conditions in response to trauma. As neutrophils are affected by diabetes, data from this cohort will distinguish how smoking affects the host defense and tissue repair in diabetic humans. Dr. Andreas Nüssler (h factor Web of Science=65; Google Scholar=85) is Professor at the University of Tubingen (95 positions according to Times Higher Education World University Ranking) and a physician at GB Kliniken Tubingen. The fellowship will be an opportunity to translate data to humans using specific groups of patients, and it will expand the aims of the PhD project and the technical and scientific background of the PhD student.