Early-life exposures and microbiome differences tied to childhood asthma across the US–Mexico border
Binational Early Asthma & Microbiome Study (BEAMS)
['FUNDING_P01'] · UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA · NIH-11136513
This project compares household, water, and infant gut microbes in Tucson and Nogales to learn why young children in Tucson have more asthma than similar children in Nogales.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_P01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (TUCSON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11136513 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You and your child may be asked to provide household dust, drinking water samples, and infant stool samples, and to answer health and home-environment questions. Researchers will analyze the microbes in those samples and follow children over time to see how early exposures relate to developing asthma. The work connects community sampling with lab experiments to explore which microbes or environmental conditions might protect against asthma. The goal is to find real-world differences between two nearby cities that could explain the large variation in childhood asthma rates.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are families with newborns or infants living in Tucson, Arizona or Nogales, Mexico, especially those willing to provide home and stool samples and health information over time.
Not a fit: Older adults without young children or people living far from the Tucson–Nogales region are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to specific microbial exposures or home practices that lower the risk of childhood asthma and guide prevention strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research in farming and rural communities has linked heavy early-life microbial exposure to lower asthma rates, but applying those findings to urban/border populations is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
TUCSON, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA — TUCSON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MARTINEZ, FERNANDO D — UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- Study coordinator: MARTINEZ, FERNANDO D
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 below.