To the Editor: The incidence of bushfires, forest fires and wildfires, is increasing globally. Epidemiology shows that individuals with chronic respiratory diseases are most affected with increased hospitalisations. However, the impacts or safe exposure levels of bushfire smoke are not well known.1 We were recently awarded the Medical Research Future Fund's Bushfire Impact Research grant 2020 and in this project we will address the following questions:
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- 4. Hirota JA, Gold MJ, Hiebert PR, et al. The nucleotide‐binding domain, leucine‐rich repeat protein 3 inflammasome/IL-1 receptor I axis mediates innate, but not adaptive, immune responses after exposure to particulate matter under 10 mum. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2015; 52: 96–105.
- 5. Yue W, Tong L, Liu X, et al. Short term Pm2.5 exposure caused a robust lung inflammation, vascular remodeling, and exacerbated transition from left ventricular failure to right ventricular hypertrophy. Redox Biol 2019; 22: 1–7.
- 6. Capistrano SJ, Zakarya R, Chen H, Oliver BG. Biomass smoke exposure enhances rhinovirus‐induced inflammation in primary lung fibroblasts. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17: 1403.
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