NIH-funded research R21 grant

Longitudinal metabolomics in infants with food allergies

Official title: Longitudinal metabolomics of FPIAP and IgE-mediated food allergy in a large infant cohort

Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11440939 · Data updated 2026-11-12

A study in infants aims to understand how gut metabolites relate to the development of food allergies, including IgE-mediated and non-IgE cases.

More Metabolomics research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniv of North Carolina Chapel Hill
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chapel Hill, United States)
Project startAugust 5, 2026
Project endJuly 31, 2028
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$327,727
NIH project number1R21AI202343-01
Project IDNIH-11440939 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Infants and young children (0-11 years) who have or are at risk for IgE-mediated or non-IgE-mediated food allergies.

Less likely to help

Children without food allergies or those not contributing samples may not benefit directly.

What this research studies

This project will use a large group of infants with stored samples and clinical data to explore how intestinal metabolites like short-chain fatty acids and bile acids correlate with allergic outcomes. Researchers will analyze blood and stool samples over time, along with immune cell profiles, to see how these metabolites influence immune development related to food allergy. The goal is to identify biological pathways that could be targeted to prevent or treat food allergies in early childhood.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal metabolic targets or biomarkers to prevent or better manage food allergies in young children.

How similar studies have gone: Preliminary evidence links gut metabolites to allergy risk, but this study extends that work with a rich, longitudinal infant cohort.

Where this research is happening

  • Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
    Chapel Hill, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Virkud, Yamini V — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
  • Study coordinator: Virkud, Yamini V

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

  • New Horizons in preventing and treating food allergy

    A Johns Hopkins-led effort aims to advance how we prevent and treat food allergies across all ages by coordinating high-quality studies and developing better therapies.

    NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11600582

  • New Horizons in Food Allergy Prevention and Treatment

    A large, multi-site program at Johns Hopkins aims to advance prevention and treatment of food allergies across all ages.

    NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11580809

  • Food allergy outcomes by race/ethnicity from infancy through adolescence

    This study follows children with food allergies over time to understand how race and ethnicity relate to allergy management, outcomes, and quality of life.

    NIH research Northwestern University · Chicago, United States · NIH-11579222

  • Gut-brain links in food allergy responses

    A research grant is exploring how signals between the gut and brain drive dangerous reactions to foods, with the goal of helping people with food allergies.

    NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11551492

  • Targeting gut microbes to restore food-tolerance in adults

    Aims to understand how gut bacteria and the lining of the gut interact to keep people with food allergies tolerant to what they eat.

    NIH research Boston Children's Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11551491

  • Environment and early-life exposures shaping food allergy in children

    This grant looks at how a child’s first year and their home environment may influence whether they develop food allergies, focusing on indoor exposures and microbes.

    NIH research Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, United States · NIH-11450430

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.