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AUF Starting Grant for research on the influence of ultrafine particles on kidney health

Alessandra Tammaro, affiliated with the Amsterdam Reproduction & Development (AR&D) research institute, has been awarded a 25,000-euro Starting Grant to investigate the impact of ultrafine particles on the development of kidney diseases. This grant is made possible by the Spinoza Fund of the Amsterdam University Fund (AUF).

Air pollution is a major environmental hazard that affects the health of billions of people worldwide. Even in countries with strong ecological policies, like the Benelux, air pollution level often exceeds the limits recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Amongst the air pollutants, ultrafine particles (UFPs) derived from road and air traffic, are believed to pose the most significant public health risk. UFPs are nano-sized and are mainly cleared from the body through the kidneys, posing a significant risk for renal function. With her grant, Alessandra Tammaro will investigate the molecular changes in the kidney, caused by early life exposure to these ultrafine particles, using a technique called snRNA-seq.  

Limited data on ultrafine particles 

According to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease theory, adverse events in the womb are linked to the development of chronic diseases in adulthood, including chronic kidney disease. Interestingly, the biological mechanisms underlying the developmental programming of kidney diseases due to exposure to air pollution are still underexplored. 

Due to the lack of national monitoring data, observational studies on ultrafine particles are scarce. Alessandra: ‘From my previous experiments on ultrafine particles during the prenatal phase, notable changes in kidney cells, as well as in kidney organoids – a valuable model for studying kidney development – emerged: exposure to ultrafine particles damage developing kidneys. 

My ultimate goal is to gain a thorough understanding of how ultrafine particles contribute to the programming of kidney diseases, filling a significant knowledge gap. This knowledge may also have a societal impact by encouraging governments to establish potential exposure limits for these harmful particles.’ 

New call in 2024 

The next call for the AUF Starting Grant will be launched in 2024, probably in spring. Interested young scientists can find additional information on this website (will be updated this spring). Contact address: rs-startstipendium@amsterdamumc.nl.