Biomarkers in Opioid-Exposed Pregnancies and Baby Brain Growth
Official title: Association of maternal, fetal and placental biomarkers with neonatal neuroimaging and development following in-utero opioid exposure
Funded at Boston Medical Center · NIH-11473972 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at blood and placenta clues to understand how prenatal opioid exposure may affect a baby’s brain development after birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $834,420 |
| NIH project number | 4R01HD113143-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11473972 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people with and without opioid exposure, and their newborns, are eligible.
✕Less likely to help
Some pregnancies may not show clear biomarker differences or may not lead to immediate changes in care.
What this research studies
Researchers will follow 150 pregnancies, comparing 100 opioid-exposed with 50 non-exposed controls, and collect blood and placental samples during pregnancy and at delivery. They will analyze maternal exosomal miRNA and inflammatory cytokines to see how exposure relates to changes in the placenta and the developing brain. The goal is to identify biomarkers that track with opioid exposure and later neurodevelopment, using advanced bioinformatics to handle the data. This study provides a path toward earlier detection of potential neurodevelopmental issues in infants and informs future interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, results could help doctors monitor at-risk pregnancies and identify babies who may need early support for neurodevelopment.
How similar studies have gone: Similar biomarker studies in other exposures have shown promising links, but this specific opioid-focused approach is ongoing and manageable within this cohort.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wachman, Elisha — Boston Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wachman, Elisha
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.