Dynamics for High-Sensitivity Detection of Free Radicals in Primary Bronchial Epithelial Cells upon Stimulation with Cigarette Smoke Extract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death worldwide, is caused by chronic exposure to toxic particles and gases, such as cigarette smoke. Free radicals, which are produced during a stress response to toxic particles, play a crucial role in disease progression. Measuring these radicals is difficult since the complex mixture of chemicals within cigarette smoke interferes with radical detection. We used a new quantum sensing technique called relaxometry to measure free radicals with nanoscale resolution on cells from COPD patients and healthy controls exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or control medium. Epithelial cells from COPD patients display a higher free radical load than those from healthy donors and are more vulnerable to CSE. We show that epithelial cells of COPD patients are more susceptible to the damaging effects of cigarette smoke, leading to increased release of free radicals.