Publications

E-cigarette aerosol exposure modulates crystalline silica-induced fibrotic responses in the lungs

Twum Y, Goldsmith WT, Olanrewaju O, Olfert IM, Gao W

Archives of Toxicology (2026)

PMID: 42228131 · DOI: 10.1007/s00204-026-04460-6

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate the e-cigarette aerosol for combined vaping-plus-silica exposures in mice, where it modulated silica-induced lung fibrosis — co-exposure modeling on a single platform.

Adverse Cardiac Effects of Ultrasonic Vaping Devices Despite Lack of Heating Coil

Goyal N, Kavuri M, Wang P, Wang ZM, Derakhshandeh R, Qiu H, Wang X, Cheng J, Kumagai K, Springer ML

Nicotine & Tobacco Research (2026)

PMID: 42139075 · DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae102

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to expose rats, via nose cone, to nine weeks of aerosol from SURGE — a coil-free, “ultrasonic” e-cigarette — alongside JUUL and clean air. Despite having no heating coil, SURGE impaired cardiac function as much as coil-based JUUL and emitted even higher carbonyls, showing that coil-free vaping is not inherently safer.

Maternal use of electronic cigarettes and impact on offspring: a double-hit model

Mills A, Velayutham M, Corbin D, Suter L, Robinson M, Chantler PD, Olfert IM

Journal of Applied Physiology, 137(3):690–704

PMID: 39088647 · DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00337.2024

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to deliver e-cigarette aerosol for in-utero and direct (“double-hit”) offspring exposures across multiple developmental stages. The combined exposure caused the worst cerebrovascular and neurocognitive deficits, even without nicotine.

Influence of gestational window on offspring vascular health in rodents with in utero exposure to electronic cigarettes

Mills A, Nassabeh S, Hurley A, Shouldis L, Chantler PD, Dakhlallah D, Olfert IM

The Journal of Physiology, 602(17):4271–4289

PMID: 39106241 · DOI: 10.1113/JP286493

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to expose pregnant rats to e-cigarette aerosol across specific gestational windows, pinpointing mid-to-late gestation as the critical window for offspring vascular harm.

Conditions Leading to Ketene Formation in Vaping Devices and Implications for Public Health

Wang P, Jacob P 3rd, Wang ZM, Fowles J, O'Shea DF, Wagner J, Kumagai K

Chemical Research in Toxicology, 37(8):1415–1427

PMID: 39078936 · DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.4c00190

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to aerosolize vitamin E acetate — the additive behind the 2019 vaping crisis — across a range of battery powers and puff counts. It showed that vaping VEA generates ketene, a highly toxic gas, with output climbing steeply at higher voltages: a 3.7 V battery produced ~76× more ketene than 2.6 V.

E-cigarette exposure disrupts antitumor immunity and promotes metastasis

Arias-Badia M, Pai CS, Chen P, Chang A, Lwin YM, Srinath A, Gotts JE, Glantz SA, Fong L

Frontiers in Immunology, 15:1444020

PMID: 39221247 · DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1444020

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate the e-cigarette aerosol used to expose mice in this cancer-immunology study, where exposure drove immunosuppression and tumor metastasis — an effect reversible with anti-CTLA4.

E-cigarette vapor renders neutrophils dysfunctional due to filamentous actin accumulation

Jasper AE, Faniyi AA, Davis LC, Grudzinska FS, Halston R, Hazeldine J, Parekh D, Sapey E, Thickett DR, Scott A

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 153(1):320–329.e8

PMID: 37678576 · DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.08.025

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate the e-cigarette vapor condensate applied to human neutrophils. The exposure rendered these immune cells dysfunctional, driving filamentous-actin accumulation that crippled their ability to migrate and clear infection.

Impairment of Endothelial Function by Aerosol From Marijuana Leaf Vaporizers

Liu J, Nabavizadeh P, Rao P, Derakhshandeh R, Han DD, Guo R, Murphy MB, Cheng J, Schick SF, Springer ML

Journal of the American Heart Association, 12(23):e032969

PMID: 38014661 · DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.032969

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to expose rats to aerosol from marijuana leaf vaporizers, extending standardized vascular testing to cannabis devices and showing that vaporized cannabis leaf acutely impaired endothelial function.

Impairment of Endothelial Function by Cigarette Smoke and e-Cigarette Aerosol Requires RAGE

Han DD, Rao P, Qiu H, Navabzadeh M, Wang X, Goyal N, Mohammadi L, Springer ML

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 43(12):2369–2371

PMID: 37795616 · DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.123.319514

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate the cigarette-smoke and e-cigarette-aerosol exposures for this mechanistic vascular study, which traced the harm to RAGE signaling — a potentially druggable pathway.

A determination of the aerosolization efficiency of drugs of abuse in a eutectic mixture with nicotine

Reveil L, Pearcy AC, Povlick J, Halquist MS, Peace MR, Poklis JL

Drug Testing and Analysis, 15(10):1091–1098

PMID: 35851853 · DOI: 10.1002/dta.3343

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to aerosolize drugs of abuse blended with nicotine, characterizing how efficiently such mixtures deliver from e-cigarette hardware — analytical and forensic emissions work.

Effects of electronic cigarette E-liquid and device wattage on vascular function

Mills A, Frazier J, Plants R, Burrage E, Coblentz T, Nassabeh S, Robinson M, Chantler PD, Olfert IM

Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 474:116631

PMID: 37468077 · DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116631

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to expose mice to e-cigarette aerosol from pure VG versus PG and at 5 versus 30 W, with precise control of e-liquid and power variables, and found that smaller resistance arteries are impaired first.

Short-term exposure of female BALB/cJ mice to e-cigarette aerosol promotes neutrophil recruitment and platelet aggregation in pulmonary microvasculature

Snoderly HT, Alkhadrawi H, Panchal DM, Weaver KL, Vito JN, Olfert IM, Nurkiewicz TR, Bennewitz MF

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 86(8):246–262

PMID: 36859793 · DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2023.2182229

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate controlled, nicotine-free e-cigarette aerosol and deliver repeatable whole-body exposures to live mice for a secondhand-exposure study, where it increased pulmonary neutrophil recruitment — a clean demonstration of the UVM's reproducible in-vivo inhalation testing.

Aerosolized nicotine from e-cigarettes alters gene expression, increases lung protein permeability, and impairs viral clearance in murine influenza infection

Maishan M, Sarma A, Chun LF, Caldera S, Fang X, Abbott J, Christenson SA, Langelier CR, Calfee CS, Gotts JE, Matthay MA

Frontiers in Immunology, 14:1076772

PMID: 36999019 · DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1076772

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to deliver controlled daily inhalation exposures of e-cigarette aerosol, with and without nicotine, to live mice over nine days for a peer-reviewed influenza study. Aerosolized nicotine impaired viral clearance and worsened lung injury — the kind of reproducible, long-run in-vivo exposure the UVM is built for.

Increased vulnerability to atrial and ventricular arrhythmias caused by different types of inhaled tobacco or marijuana products

Qiu H, Zhang H, Han DD, Derakhshandeh R, Wang X, Goyal N, Olgin JE, Springer ML

Heart Rhythm, 20(1):76–86

PMID: 36603937 · DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2022.09.021

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate aerosol and smoke from a range of tobacco and marijuana products and exposed rats for cardiac electrophysiology testing, where exposure raised atrial and ventricular arrhythmia risk across every product type.

Electronic cigarette vaping with aged coils causes acute lung injury in mice

Goto S, Grange RMH, Pinciroli R, Rosales IA, Li R, Boerboom SL, Zapol WM, Ichinose F, Yu B

Archives of Toxicology, 96(12):3363–3371

PMID: 36195745 · DOI: 10.1007/s00204-022-03388-x

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to deliver 1,800+ controlled puffs to age e-cigarette coils, then expose mice to the resulting aerosol. The aged coils generated harmful aldehydes and caused acute lung injury — automated device-lifecycle testing the UVM handles end to end.

Impairment of Endothelial Function by Cigarette Smoke Is Not Caused by a Specific Smoke Constituent, but by Vagal Input From the Airway

Nabavizadeh P, Liu J, Rao P, Ibrahim S, Han DD, Derakhshandeh R, Qiu H, Wang X, Glantz SA, Schick SF, Springer ML

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 42:1324–1332

PMID: 36288292 · DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.318051

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate the controlled cigarette-smoke exposures for live rats in this mechanistic cardiovascular study, delivering reproducible whole smoke on demand. It showed that acute endothelial dysfunction is driven by airway-irritation vagal signaling, not by any single smoke constituent.

Chronic E-Cigarette Use Impairs Endothelial Function on the Physiological and Cellular Levels

Mohammadi L, Han DD, Xu F, Huang A, Derakhshandeh R, Rao P, Schick SF, Springer ML

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 42(11):1333–1350

PMID: 36288290 · DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.121.317749

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to deliver automated, repeatable e-cigarette dosing over time for this long-term vascular study, which found that chronic vaping impaired endothelial function at both the arterial and cellular levels.

Impact of e-cigarette aerosol on primary human alveolar epithelial type 2 cells

Wick KD, Fang X, Maishan M, Matsumoto S, Spottiswoode N, Sarma A, Gotts JE, Matthay MA

American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, 323(2):L152–L164

PMID: 35670478 · DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00503.2021

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate the e-cigarette aerosol used to expose primary human alveolar type 2 cells — the cells that keep the lung working. The aerosol directly injured them in this controlled in-vitro study.

Comparable Impairment of Vascular Endothelial Function by a Wide Range of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Devices

Rao P, Han DD, Tan K, Mohammadi L, Derakhshandeh R, Navabzadeh M, Goyal N, Springer ML

Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 24(7):1055–1062

PMID: 35100430 · DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntac019

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to run a head-to-head comparison across the entire vapor landscape — e-cigarettes (with and without nicotine), JUUL, an IQOS heated-tobacco device, a coil-free ultrasonic device, and combustible cigarettes — exposing rats under one standardized protocol. Every product impaired vascular function comparably — exactly the apples-to-apples, multi-product testing the UVM is built for.

Aerosolized vitamin E acetate causes oxidative injury in mice and in alveolar macrophages

Matsumoto S, Traber MG, Leonard SW, Choi J, Fang X, Maishan M, Wick KD, Jones KD, Calfee CS, Gotts JE, Matthay MA

American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, 322(6):L771–L783

PMID: 35318859 · DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00482.2021

A follow-up to the studies that demonstrated vitamin E acetate (VEA) causes EVALI-like lung injury: a Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to aerosolize VEA to expose live mice and alveolar macrophages, revealing the mechanism — oxidative injury, immune-cell death, and impaired clearance, made worse alongside influenza. More UVM-generated proof behind the cause of the 2019 vaping crisis.

Potential factors affecting free base nicotine yield in electronic cigarette aerosols

Gholap VV, Pearcy AC, Halquist MS

Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 18(7):979–989

PMID: 33576695 · DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2021.1890714

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine and its control software (validated per CORESTA No. 81) were used to generate e-cigarette aerosol to map free-base nicotine yield, showing it is governed by concentration, flavors, PG:VG ratio, salt type, and power — precise, standards-compliant analytical aerosol generation.

Assessing young adults' ENDS use via Ecological Momentary Assessment and a Smart Bluetooth enabled ENDS device

Li Z, Benowitz-Fredericks C, Ling PM, Cohen JE, Thrul J

Addictive Behaviors, 113:106659

PMID: 33031497 · DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106659

A Bluetooth-enabled Gram Smart Vaporizer was used to capture objective, in-the-field puff data from 18 young-adult users over 30 days, revealing they took roughly twice as many puffs as they self-reported.

Dose-Dependent Pulmonary Toxicity of Aerosolized Vitamin E Acetate

Matsumoto S, Fang X, Traber MG, Jones KD, Langelier C, Hayakawa Serpa P, Calfee CS, Matthay MA, Gotts JE

American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, 63(6):748–757

PMID: 32822237 · DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2020-0209OC

This is the study that helped crack the 2019 vaping crisis. As EVALI hospitalized thousands with sudden, severe lung injury, a Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to generate the aerosolized vitamin E acetate (VEA) that let the Gotts & Matthay lab at UCSF put the prime suspect to the test in live mice and human lung cells — producing direct, dose-dependent proof that inhaled VEA causes the injury. Landmark experimental evidence identifying the cause of EVALI, generated on the UVM.

Aldehydes in Cigarette Smoke Impair Vascular Endothelial Function

Rao P, Liu J, Springer ML

Circulation Research, 127(Suppl 1):A236

DOI: 10.1161/res.127.suppl_1.236

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine, as part of its cardiovascular research program, was used to expose rats to individual aldehyde gases (acrolein, acetaldehyde), which impaired FMD — isolating reactive carbonyls as drivers of smoke harm. Presented at AHA Scientific Sessions 2020.

Validation of a nicotine vapor self-administration model in rats with relevance to electronic cigarette use

Smith LC, Kallupi M, Tieu L, Shankar K, Jaquish A, Barr J, Su Y, Velarde N, Sedighim S, Carrette LLG, Klodnicki M, Sun X, de Guglielmo G, George O

Neuropsychopharmacology (Nature), 45(11):1909–1919

PMID: 32544927 · DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0734-8

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to power an operant nicotine-vapor self-administration model, letting rats voluntarily dose to human-like blood-nicotine levels. Daily self-administration produced validated addiction-like behavior and physiology — a sophisticated behavioral application of the UVM.

Reducing toxic reactive carbonyl species in e-cigarette emissions: testing a harm-reduction strategy based on dicarbonyl trapping

de Falco B, Petridis A, Paramasivan P, Troise AD, Scaloni A, Deeni Y, Stephens WE, Fiore A

RSC Advances, 10:21535–21544

DOI: 10.1039/D0RA02138E

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to aerosolize polyphenol-dosed e-liquids to test a harm-reduction additive strategy, showing that polyphenols cut toxic carbonyls while producing non-toxic byproducts — precise, repeatable emissions chemistry.

JUUL and Combusted Cigarettes Comparably Impair Endothelial Function

Rao P, Liu J, Springer ML

Tobacco Regulatory Science, 6(1):30–37

PMID: 31930162 · DOI: 10.18001/TRS.6.1.4

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to deliver standardized JUUL, e-cigarette, and cigarette exposures to rats in this cardiovascular comparison, where JUUL impaired endothelial function comparably to cigarette smoke.

A Strategy for Efficiently Collecting Aerosol Condensate Using Silica Fibers: Application to Carbonyl Emissions from E-Cigarettes

Stephens WE, de Falco B, Fiore A

Chemical Research in Toxicology, 32(10):2053–2062

PMID: 31515993 · DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00214

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to aerosolize e-liquids for capture on disposable fiber filters — the emissions-capture workflow behind Gram's PTFE filter consumables. The fiber traps caught ~94% of vaporized mass and out-collected Cambridge filter pads.

An Exploration of Smoking-to-Vaping Transition Attempts Using a “Smart” Electronic Nicotine Delivery System

Blank ML, Hoek J, George M, Gendall P, Conner TS, Thrul J, Ling PM, Langlotz T

Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 21(10):1339–1346

PMID: 29878179 · DOI: 10.1093/ntr/nty093

Bluetooth-enabled Gram Smart Vaporizer devices were used to log eight weeks of objective, real-world use by daily smokers attempting to switch, surfacing three distinct smoking-to-vaping transition patterns.

Vascular endothelial function is impaired by aerosol from a single IQOS HeatStick to the same extent as by cigarette smoke

Nabavizadeh P, Liu J, Havel CM, Ibrahim S, Derakhshandeh R, Jacob P III, Springer ML

Tobacco Control, 28(Suppl 1):s13–s19

PMID: 30206183 · DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054325

A Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to expose live rats, via nose cone, to aerosol from single IQOS HeatSticks versus cigarette smoke, and found that IQOS impaired vascular function comparably to cigarettes.

An electronic cigarette vaping machine for the characterization of aerosol delivery and composition

Havel CM, Benowitz NL, Jacob P III, St Helen G

Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 19(10):1224–1231

PMID: 27281605 · DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntw147

The independent, peer-reviewed validation of the Gram Universal Vaping Machine itself: it reproducibly aerosolizes e-liquids under programmable conditions, with low puff-to-puff variability and output that scales linearly with power — establishing the UVM as a reliable platform for nicotine and toxicant-delivery research.

The Gram Universal Vaping Machine was used to prove vitamin E acetate caused the 2019 vaping crisis