Low-level nitrite in pregnancy and baby development
Official title: Maternal transfer factors and offspring development defects induced by nitrite
Funded at Texas State University · NIH-11345243 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at whether low levels of nitrite in drinking water during pregnancy can harm embryos and affect newborn growth and brain development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Marcos, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $146,452 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM153659-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345243 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people or those planning pregnancy who are concerned about nitrite or nitrate contamination in drinking water would be most relevant to the implications of this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without pregnancy or reproductive concerns, or those whose exposures are unrelated to nitrite, are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use a live-bearing fish species to model pregnancy and expose mothers to chronic, low concentrations of nitrite similar to contaminated drinking water. They will measure whether nitrite changes the transfer of steroids, immune factors, and transcripts from mother to embryo. Offspring will be tracked for growth and nervous-system development to identify defects linked to maternal exposure. The project focuses on mechanisms during the full gestational period rather than acute poisoning events.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If confirmed, results could clarify risks of chronic low-level nitrite exposure during pregnancy and help shape water-safety guidance and prenatal health recommendations.
How similar studies have gone: Acute nitrite toxicity is well documented, but chronic low-level impacts on maternal transfer and embryo development are largely untested and this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas State University
San Marcos, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huertas, Mar — Texas State University
- Study coordinator: Huertas, Mar
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Nursing Staff Scheduling and Quality in Nursing Homes
A national study will look at how how hard nurses are scheduled in nursing homes affects quality of care and how often staff leave.
-
Copper scavenging in fungal pathogens: how fungi grab copper to grow
Researchers will study how fungal pathogens grab copper from their environment to grow, using a model system and lab studies relevant to infection.
-
Understanding how host and microbe genetics plus the environment shape animal-microbe partnerships
A NIH grant will explore how the genetics of an animal and its microbial partners, along with environmental factors, influence how beneficial these partnerships are.
-
Understanding how malaria parasite invasion works at the molecular level
This project looks at how malaria parasites build a specialized attack tool inside their cells to invade human red blood cells and how blocking this process could lead to new therapies.
-
Active-site models to understand how enzymes activate alkanes in the gut
Researchers are building small, detailed models of the nickel-containing active site from methanogenic Archaea found in the human gut to learn how methane-related reactions begin and proceed.
-
Smc5/6 protein sumoylation and DNA repair mechanism in cancer
A study at Texas State University will explore how a specific protein complex helps repair DNA in cancer cells, which could lead to new ways to prevent genome instability.
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.