How prenatal chemical exposure plus a Western diet can cause inherited changes in fat and liver
Interactions between prenatal obesogen exposure and Total Western diet lead to a transgenerational thrifty phenotype: functional and epigenomic analysis of effects in fat and liver
This project looks at whether exposure before birth to certain environmental chemicals together with a high‑fat Western diet makes people and their descendants store more fat and develop liver problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10866495 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research uses animal models to examine how prenatal exposure to an environmental chemical called tributyltin (TBT), combined with a high‑fat Western dietary pattern, changes fat and liver biology across generations. Scientists measure fat depot size, signs of fatty liver, and how stem cells shift toward becoming fat cells, while using epigenomic methods such as ATAC‑seq to study chromatin changes in fat and liver tissue. The team follows multiple generations of animals to see whether these changes persist and how offspring respond when diets change.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The people most relevant to this line of work are those with obesity, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, or family histories of excess weight who want to learn about environmental and inherited risk factors, although the project itself is preclinical and done in the lab.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate clinical treatments or enrollment in human trials will not receive direct benefit because this project focuses on animal and molecular research rather than testing therapies in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal environmental and dietary causes of inherited obesity risk and point to prevention strategies or targets for future therapies for obesity and fatty liver disease.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies, including work by this team, have shown transgenerational increases in fat and fatty liver after tributyltin exposure, but translating these findings to humans remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blumberg, Bruce — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Blumberg, Bruce
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.