Emma Mason
wordemason.bsky.social
Emma Mason
@wordemason.bsky.social
Thames-dwelling Londoner, medical research communications consultant & writer. @cbcreative.bsky.social alumnus & London Writers Club member, trying to make time for my creative writing.
Reposted by Emma Mason
Scientists find unusual build-up of soot-like particles in lung cells of COPD patients

https://www.ricemasonnoble.eu/2025/06/11/scientists-find-unusual-build-up-of-soot-like-particles-in-lung-cells-of-copd-patients/
June 11, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Reposted by Emma Mason
Read the full study in ERJ Open Research: publications.ersnet.org/content/erjo...
Alveolar macrophage carbon is associated with COPD severity
BackgroundCOPD is driven by the inhalation of noxious particles. A significant component of particulate matter is carbon which is taken up by alveolar macrophages. We compared alveolar macrophage carbon levels in COPD patients to smokers and assessed the relationship of carbon load with macrophage size and phenotype.MethodsLung tissue from COPD patients (n=28) and smokers (n=15) were stained for alveolar macrophages. The area of carbon deposits within macrophages and macrophage size was measured. The effect of carbon exposure on macrophage size, phenotype marker expression (real-time PCR) and pro-inflammatory cytokine production (TNFα and CXCL8 by ELISA) was assessed in vitro using monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) from healthy donors.ResultsCarbon area (µM2) and percentage carbon area (%) were significantly increased in COPD compared to smokers (5.0 µM2 versus 1.3 µM2, p=0.04) (4.2% versus 0.74%, p=0.04). Carbon area (µM2) and percentage carbon area (%) were negatively correlated with FEV1% (r=-0.43, p=0.001 and r=-0.49, p=0.004, respectively). Alveolar macrophages containing carbon were significantly larger than carbon negative (16.1 µM versus 14.2 µM, p=<0.0001, respectively). MDMs treated in vitro with carbon were significantly larger (19% at 62 µg·mL−1) than controls and had significantly increased expression of macrophage phenotype markers CD206, CD80 and CD38 and released greater levels of TNFα and CXCL8.ConclusionsAlveolar macrophage carbon was increased in COPD patients compared to smokers and negatively correlated with lung function. Carbon skews macrophages to a phenotype of increased size and differential expression of macrophage phenotype genes. Alveolar macrophage carbon exposure may be a significant driver of macrophage dysfunction in COPD.
publications.ersnet.org
June 11, 2025 at 7:10 AM
🚨🌱 The Chancellor is reviewing all public spending from scratch. Please join me in signing the @campaignforthearts.org petition to remind the UK Govt: the arts make our lives happier & our communities stronger. Now is the moment to invest in them. www.campaignforthearts.org/petitions/sp...
Petition: Make the arts part of UK National Renewal | Campaign for the Arts
The Chancellor is reviewing all public spending from scratch. The arts make our lives happier and our communities stronger. Now is the moment to invest in them.
www.campaignforthearts.org
May 7, 2025 at 7:19 PM
I have these books to help me organise my writing thoughts:
April 1, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Is 1 April a good day to try to get back into my writing again - or am I being an #AprilFool as I have builders in the house constantly interrupting me?
April 1, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Emma Mason
In early 2020, a pandemic was spreading. The UK’s PM went on a 10 day half-term holiday during which he was uncontactable and the government went into panic mode, focusing, as Hancock related to the COVID enquiry, on buying enough body bags. 1/8
January 14, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Great book & it inspired my first attempt at novel writing. I’m not sure how good my story is but I had fun writing it
On this day in 1818, Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" was published - written when she was 18, it is widely regarded as the first-ever work of science fiction, and an incredible study of the nature of man.
If you haven't read it yet, do.
January 1, 2025 at 6:40 PM
I’ve just finished reading this. I very much enjoyed it & there are lots of resonances with the story I’m writing
January 1, 2025 at 6:32 PM