How early-life metal exposure affects children's lung growth and mitochondrial DNA
Effect of Perinatal Exposure to Metals on Lung Function Trajectories and Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy from Childhood to Adolescence
This project looks at whether exposure to metals before birth and in early life changes lung growth and mitochondrial DNA during childhood and adolescence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11503660 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You or your child would be followed from birth into the teen years while researchers measure metal levels from pregnancy and infancy samples and repeat breathing tests over time. Clinic visits would include spirometry to track lung growth and collection of blood or other samples to measure mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy. The team will pay special attention to timing of exposures and mixtures of metals to see which patterns link to slower or abnormal lung development. Findings will be compared across participants to find molecular signatures that connect early exposures to later breathing problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are families with children enrolled from birth or infancy who can provide prenatal/early-life samples and return for repeated lung function visits through adolescence.
Not a fit: People without prenatal or early-life exposure data, or adults whose early-life samples are not available, may not be able to join or gain direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify harmful early-life metal exposures and timing windows to target prevention or earlier monitoring for children at risk of chronic lung problems.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research links some early metal exposures to poorer childhood lung function, but combining long-term lung growth tracking with mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy analysis is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rosa, Maria Jose — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Rosa, Maria Jose
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.