{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T15:58:53Z","timestamp":1792166333338,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"IMR Press","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786406400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Seton Hall University STEM Connect Award"},{"name":"Independent Colleges of New Jersey Undergraduate Award"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed)"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction:Environmental factors, such as inhaled chemical agents, may pose risks to cartilage tissue and embedded chondrocytes. Increasingly used among adolescents and young adults, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) utilize aerosols rich in chemical flavoring agents that contact the respiratory epithelium and may adversely affect underlying airway structures, including chondrocyte-containing cartilage. This study evaluated the effect of common e-cigarette flavorings on chondrocyte viability and function using the ATDC5 cell line as a chondrocyte model.Methods:ATDC5 cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of nicotine-free e-cigarette liquid flavor additives (ELFAs) introduced into the media, followed by assessment of cellular metabolism, cellular membrane integrity, functional activity, inflammatory response, and gene expression profiling.Results:Significant cytotoxicity was observed in Cinnamon- and Menthol-treated groups, with near-complete loss of cell viability at concentrations \u22654%. These additives also induced dysregulation of chondrocyte matrix metabolism and increased expression of cyclo-oxygenase-2 activity, notably displaying significant upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) and prostaglandin E2, respectively.Conclusions:Our findings show that commonly used ELFAs may alter chondrocyte metabolism, function, gene expression, and inflammatory signaling in a flavor\u2011 and concentration\u2011dependent manner, underscoring the need for deeper investigation into how e\u2011cigarette flavor additives affect cellular and tissue health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.31083\/fbl51207","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T12:35:31Z","timestamp":1788438931000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Chondrocyte Viability and Function is Impaired by E-Cigarette Liquid Flavor Additives"],"prefix":"10.31083","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-9022-2876","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Anzor","family":"Said","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-7269-4872","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Connor","family":"Jaedicke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-3166-5562","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Mahika","family":"Ganguly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-6066-4978","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Amy","family":"Awadalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7234-9047","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jessica A.","family":"Cottrell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"16242","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Jamal A, Park-Lee E, Birdsey J, West A, Cornelius M, Cooper MR, et al. 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