How a mother's blood signals may cause babies to grow too small after prenatal alcohol exposure
Maternal mediators of fetal growth restriction linked to prenatal alcohol exposure
This research looks at whether molecules in a pregnant person’s blood explain and could be changed to prevent babies being born too small after heavy alcohol use in pregnancy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128343 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I were pregnant and had heavy alcohol exposure, this work would look at small circulating microRNAs and two inflammation-related proteins in my blood that were linked to babies born small. The team will study how these maternal signals move to the placenta and interfere with placental growth using human blood samples together with lab and animal experiments. They will test whether changing these signals can protect the placenta and allow babies to grow more normally. The work builds on earlier findings in people and animal models to move toward ways to identify and possibly treat at-risk pregnancies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be pregnant people with known heavy alcohol use during pregnancy or early pregnancy exposure who can provide blood samples and clinical follow-up information.
Not a fit: People without prenatal alcohol exposure or whose fetal growth problems are caused by clearly unrelated conditions may not directly benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to blood tests to identify pregnancies at high risk of alcohol-related fetal growth restriction and new treatments to protect placental function and fetal growth.
How similar studies have performed: Previous human cohort work and follow-up studies in rodents and primates found the same maternal microRNAs linked to fetal growth problems and showed they can alter placental biology, but testing targeted ways to reverse this is newer.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chambers, Christina — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Chambers, Christina
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.