The piece is my interpretation of Dr. Martin Stämpfli’s research on the impacts of the immune system response in the lungs to cigarette smoke. He uses mouse model[s] to observe the increase in macrophage size due to the accumulation of lipids.

Cigarette smoke disrupts the lipid and surfactant homeostasis, this elicits an immune response, activating pulmonary macrophages and causing inflammation. The macrophages accumulate the lipids and become foam cells, these foams cells can contribute to build up of plaques associated with atherosclerosis. This research has implications in the development of novel treatments for pulmonary diseases.