Early-life gut microbes and childhood asthma risk
Microbiome Studies
This project looks at microbes in mothers and young children to find why Mexican-American kids in Tucson have more allergic asthma than similar children in Nogales, Mexico.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tucson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136514 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a parent's view, researchers collect stool and environmental samples from pregnant women and their babies to compare the tiny organisms living in the gut and home. Samples are processed in a single centralized lab using standardized sequencing to keep results consistent. The team will sequence thousands of samples and do deeper 'shotgun' sequencing for a selected group of mother‑infant pairs. The aim is to link early-life microbial exposures to later allergic asthma so we can spot risks earlier.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant women and their newborns/infants, especially families in the Tucson, AZ and Nogales, Sonora region and Mexican‑American or Mexican households.
Not a fit: Adults without young children or people with long-established asthma are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early microbial markers or exposures that help prevent or reduce allergic asthma in children.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have connected early-life gut microbes to asthma risk, but this large binational mother‑infant sequencing approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Tucson, United States
- University of Arizona — Tucson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mccauley, Kathryn — University of Arizona
- Study coordinator: Mccauley, Kathryn
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.