How genes and everyday exposures change human cells
Official title: Experimental Cellular Approaches to Genotype × Environment Interaction
Funded at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · NIH-11394953 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will grow lab cells from people's blood to see how genetic differences and environmental exposures together change cell behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Edinburg, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $61,342 |
| NIH project number | 3RM1GM149403-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11394953 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults willing to give a blood sample, especially those with varied ages, genetic backgrounds, or histories of exposure to air pollution.
✕Less likely to help
People who cannot or will not provide a blood sample, or whose health concerns are unrelated to environmental or aging biology, may not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would give a small blood sample that researchers turn into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can be grown into organ-related cell types. In the lab, those matched cells will be exposed in a controlled way to things like air-pollutant chemicals while researchers measure cellular responses before and after exposure. Because iPSC-derived cells lose most of their prior environmental "memory," the differences seen are driven largely by genetic background interacting with the experimental exposure. This large-scale cellular testing aims to reveal how genes and environment combine to affect cell behavior and to identify biomarkers related to aging, brain health, and pollution effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify genetic and cellular markers that help predict who is most vulnerable to environmental pollutants and aging-related problems.
How similar studies have gone: iPSC-based cellular studies have modeled specific diseases before, but using iPSC-derived cells experimentally to test genotype×environment interactions at this scale is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Curran, Joanne E. — University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Study coordinator: Curran, Joanne E.
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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.