Wildfires are increasing globally, creating physiological and behavioral effects on children’s health. Canada experienced a record-breaking wildland fire season in 2023. The Lac du Bonnet fire in May 2025 caused massive destruction of over 4,000 hectares of land and forced out nearly 1,000 people – killing two.  

As a breathing organ, our lungs interact with the environment through a continuous epithelial layer (epithelium) with critical roles in gas exchange, defense against pathogens and maintaining lung homeostasis. Compared to adults, children often spend more time outdoors, breathe faster and take in more air relative to their body weight with their immature lungs. Their nasal passages filter relatively less and allow more environmental toxic factors, such as particulate matter (PM) – major fire smoke components – to penetrate deeper into their lungs.  

The lung epithelium contains special cells that help maintain the barrier and repair damage after injury. Exposure to air pollutants can damage these cells, potentially impairing lung function and causing lung disease. However, limited studies have investigated the biological effects of wood smoke on the lung epithelium, and even fewer have examined alveolar epithelial repair.  

In this study, we will establish a wood smoke exposure system and a 3D mini lung derived from the alveolar epithelial progenitor cells. We’ll investigate how wood smoke exposure affects alveolar epithelial cells, further understanding the molecular mechanisms and providing support for future research in novel preventive or repair approaches contributing to children’s health improvement.