An In Vitro Model to Assess Early Immune Markers Following Co-Exposure of Epithelial Cells to Carbon Black (Nano)Particles in the Presence of : A Role for Stressed Cells in Toxicological Testing.

The exposure of human lung and skin to carbon black (CB) is continuous due to its widespread applications. Current toxicological testing uses 'healthy' cellular systems; however, questions remain whether this mimics the everyday stresses that human cells are exposed to, including infection. lung and skin infections remain prevalent in society, and include pneumonia and atopic dermatitis, respectively, but current in vitro toxicological testing does not consider infection stress.