How metal exposure around pregnancy and infancy may change children's lung growth and cell DNA
Effect of Perinatal Exposure to Metals on Lung Function Trajectories and Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy from Childhood to Adolescence
['FUNDING_R01'] · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · NIH-11286848
Following children from before birth through adolescence, researchers will track metal exposure around pregnancy and early life to see if it changes lung growth and mitochondrial DNA and raises later breathing risks.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11286848 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, you and your child would be followed from pregnancy or birth through adolescence, with metal levels measured in maternal and infant samples and lung function tracked over time. Researchers will collect blood or other specimens to measure mixtures of metals and study changes in mitochondrial DNA, and will do repeated breathing tests (spirometry) during childhood and the teen years. They will compare different exposure times and combinations of metals to see which patterns link to slower lung growth or cell-level changes. The project uses existing Mount Sinai cohorts to follow families efficiently for several years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people and their children who can attend follow-up visits in the New York area from birth through adolescence, especially those living in areas with potential metal exposures.
Not a fit: People whose lung problems began in adulthood or who cannot provide early-life exposure information are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this observational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify early-life metal exposures that increase risk for poor lung growth, enabling prevention efforts and earlier clinical attention for at-risk children.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior studies have linked individual metals to poorer lung function, but studying mixtures, specific timing across development, and mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy together across childhood 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.