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Synchrotron soft X-ray imaging and fluorescence microscopy to study asbestos body morphology and composition in human lung tissues
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Asbestos is an established carcinogen and poses a number of serious health risks. While it is a prominent factor in asbestosis, the most aggressive illness associated with this mineral is pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs. While asbestos exposure has been linked to cancer for quite long time, mechanisms are still undefined how exactly the fibres exert their toxic and carcinogenic activity. In our study, we used synchrotron soft X-ray imaging and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) microscopy to examine the chemical makeup of human tissues containing asbestos fibers. We have revealed new details in the chemical mechanisms that lock asbestos fibers in the lung and that could dictate how the body reacts to this dangerous material. |
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Synchrotron soft X-ray imaging and fluorescence microscopy reveal novel features of asbestos body morphology and composition in human lung tissues; |