How blood proteins like albumin affect PFAS buildup and harm
Official title: Supplement: The role of albumin and other serum factors in Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)accumulation and toxicity
Funded at University of Rhode Island · NIH-11412902 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether common blood proteins make PFAS chemicals stay longer in the body and increase liver-related harm for people exposed to them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rhode Island NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kingston, United States) |
| Project start | May 13, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $181,821 |
| NIH project number | 3R01ES037367-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11412902 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with known or suspected PFAS exposure, especially those with fatty liver, abnormal blood lipids, or a history of living near PFAS-contaminated sites.
✕Less likely to help
People without PFAS exposure or with health issues unrelated to PFAS are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use laboratory mouse models (including mice that lack albumin) and biochemical binding tests to see how PFAS chemicals attach to albumin and other blood proteins. They will measure PFAS levels in blood and tissues and compare liver effects in animals with and without albumin. The team will also run in vitro experiments with purified proteins and immune proteins to identify other PFAS-binding partners. Results will help explain why PFAS persist in human blood for years and how that persistence relates to fatty liver and lipid changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to speed PFAS removal or reduce liver injury from PFAS exposure.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier laboratory and animal work supports albumin binding to PFAS, but confirming this in physiological conditions and identifying other binding proteins is still novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Slitt, Angela L — University of Rhode Island
- Study coordinator: Slitt, Angela L
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.