How maternal obesity and gut bacteria may drive preeclampsia and later heart/metabolic risk
Lifecycle of obesogenic gender behaviors and cardiometabolic disease in women
This project will look at whether overeating-related changes in a mother's gut bacteria and their short-chain fatty acids cause preeclampsia and increase long-term heart and metabolic risk in offspring, using a mouse model.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Colorado State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fort Collins, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180351 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use a mouse model that develops preeclampsia to study how maternal overeating and obesity change the gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) signaling at the maternal-fetal interface. They will give some mice Lactobacillus supplements and remove Lactobacillus in others to see whether these changes alter inflammation and pregnancy outcomes. The team will measure inflammatory NF-κB activity and SCFA signaling through the embryonic receptor GPR43. Embryo transfer experiments will be used to distinguish effects coming from the mother versus those coming from the embryo.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant people with obesity or a prior history of preeclampsia would be the most likely candidates for future related trials or interventions.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, who do not have obesity, or whose preeclampsia arises from causes unrelated to the microbiome are unlikely to see direct benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to probiotic, dietary, or SCFA-targeted strategies to prevent preeclampsia and reduce offspring cardiometabolic risk.
How similar studies have performed: Some animal studies and early human research link maternal microbiome shifts and SCFAs to pregnancy complications and offspring metabolic issues, but probiotic or SCFA-targeted therapies are still largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Fort Collins, United States
- Colorado State University — Fort Collins, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sones, Jennifer Liford — Colorado State University
- Study coordinator: Sones, Jennifer Liford
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.