Helping babies who were too small before birth grow stronger muscles
Regulation of Fetal Skeletal Muscle Growth in IUGR
Finding ways to boost muscle growth in fetuses and newborns affected by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285440 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers aim to understand why babies with IUGR develop less muscle and worse body composition across life by studying processes that control fetal muscle growth. They use a well‑validated sheep model that mimics human IUGR to measure muscle protein synthesis, muscle fiber size, myonuclear number, and whole‑body composition. The team is focusing on how branched‑chain amino acid (BCAA) uptake and catabolism, and related transporters and enzymes, limit muscle building in the IUGR fetus. Insights from these experiments are intended to point toward treatments given around pregnancy or shortly after birth to restore muscle growth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People pregnant with a fetus diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction and infants born small for gestational age would be the eventual candidates for related clinical approaches.
Not a fit: Patients whose low muscle mass is caused by a primary genetic muscle disease or unrelated conditions may not benefit from interventions targeting IUGR‑related pathways.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies given before or soon after birth that increase muscle mass and lower lifelong metabolic disease risk for people affected by IUGR.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have shown that changing amino acid availability can influence muscle growth, but translation to human infants remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brown, Laura Davidson — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Brown, Laura Davidson
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.