How thyroid conditions in parents might affect their children's health across generations
Official title: Transgenerational epigenetic programming of the thyroid axis
Funded at Mainehealth · NIH-11132745 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores how environmental factors affecting a parent's thyroid health might influence their children's risk for conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mainehealth NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | July 16, 2012 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $572,000 |
| NIH project number | 2R01DK095908-12A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11132745 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational work is not directly recruiting patients, but future studies stemming from this research might seek individuals with a family history of thyroid conditions, obesity, or type 2 diabetes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not interested in the underlying biological mechanisms of inherited disease, or those seeking immediate treatment options, may not find direct benefit from this basic science research.
What this research studies
Many common health issues like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and thyroid problems often run in families, but genetic changes alone don't fully explain why. This project looks into whether environmental influences on a parent's health can create 'epigenetic' changes, which are like tags on our genes that can be passed down and affect how our bodies work. We are particularly interested in how a father's thyroid health might impact his children's metabolism and hormone systems, potentially leading to conditions such as obesity and problems with blood sugar regulation. Understanding these connections could help us learn more about how these conditions develop across generations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us understand new ways that conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes are passed down, potentially leading to new strategies for prevention or early intervention.
How similar studies have gone: While the concept of epigenetics is gaining traction, the specific idea of 'Syndrome Of Father's Thyrotoxicosis' (SOFT) and its transgenerational impact on metabolic health is a novel area of exploration based on preliminary mouse model observations.
Where this research is happening
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Mainehealth
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hernandez, Arturo — Mainehealth
- Study coordinator: Hernandez, Arturo
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.