How early gut exposures shape infants' immune tolerance
Immune Outcomes to Neonatal Antigen Delivery in the Intestine
This project looks at whether components in early feeding—especially breast milk proteins like epidermal growth factor (EGF)—change babies’ immune reactions to foods and gut microbes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11332529 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research explains how substances your baby meets in the gut, such as proteins from breast milk or formula, affect the development of immune tolerance. Researchers will analyze breast milk, stool, and other samples and use laboratory models to track how antigens cross the newborn intestine and how EGF influences that process. They will compare infants who are exclusively breastfed with those receiving alternative feeds to understand differences in intestinal permeability and immune responses. The goal is to identify signals in early feeding that could help prevent food allergies and early inflammatory bowel disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Newborns and infants and their breastfeeding mothers or caregivers—particularly families using exclusive breastfeeding, mixed feeding, or formula in the first months—would be the most relevant participants.
Not a fit: Adults with long-established food allergies or chronic inflammatory bowel disease are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this early-life focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to breastfeeding components or supplements (for example EGF) and feeding practices that lower the risk of childhood food allergies and early inflammatory bowel disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies link breastfeeding and some milk factors to reduced allergy risk, but the specific role of EGF and neonatal antigen delivery remains a developing and partly untested area.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- Mayo Clinic Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Knoop, Kathryn a — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Knoop, Kathryn a
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.