How breastmilk T cells may protect infants' airways
Official title: Elucidating a novel respiratory-mammary axis of T cell immunity
Funded at Seattle Children's Hospital · NIH-11482691 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether immune T cells in breast milk help protect breastfed infants from respiratory infections by moving between the mother's nose and breast.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Seattle Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | December 16, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,984 |
| NIH project number | 4R00AI182458-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11482691 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Breastfeeding mothers and their nursing infants who can provide milk, nasal swabs, and blood samples — especially those with recent or recurrent infant respiratory symptoms — are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
Non-breastfeeding families, adults who are not lactating, or infants/families unwilling or unable to provide the required samples would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll breastfeeding mother–infant pairs and collect breast milk, nasal swabs, and blood samples. They will use single-cell RNA sequencing together with paired T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing to see whether the same T cells appear in both the lactating breast and the upper airway. The team will compare T cell signatures and clones to determine whether respiratory exposures seed and sustain tissue-resident memory T cells in milk. They will also examine whether infant saliva or infant respiratory infection is linked to persistence of these breastmilk T cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could explain part of how breastfeeding reduces infant respiratory infections and point toward ways to boost infant protection through maternal vaccination or milk-based approaches.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows breastfeeding lowers infant respiratory infection risk and that milk contains immune cells, but directly mapping shared T cell clones between the breast and airway with paired single-cell RNA/TCR sequencing is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
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Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Armistead, Blair — Seattle Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Armistead, Blair
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.