Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1804542115 (2018)

Environmental nanoparticles, such as those derived from industrial processes or diesel fumes, can exacerbate inflammatory responses. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Stauber and colleagues demonstrate that fungal spores collected under real-world conditions are frequently coated with nanoparticles such as silica. Nanoparticles adsorb onto spores rapidly and stably and shield them from destruction by antimicrobial defensins and impair phagocytosis, yet nanoparticle-coated spores trigger greater production of inflammatory cytokines by macrophages and neutrophils. Nanoparticle-decorated Aspergillus fumigatus spores are also more harmful when instilled into mouse lungs. These results suggest that not only can nanoparticles directly damage lung epithelium but they can also act in synergy with the pathobiology of A. fumigatus.