Maternal obesity, inflammation, and placental growth in preeclampsia
Official title: Mechanisms of maternal obesity and feto-placental development in preeclampsia
Funded at Colorado State University · NIH-11369789 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how maternal obesity and inflammation in the placenta might lead to preeclampsia during pregnancy, with findings that could help prevent or manage the condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Colorado State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fort Collins, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $500,893 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD114145-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11369789 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people with obesity or those at risk for preeclampsia may benefit from future translational applications of these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People without risk factors for preeclampsia or those not involved in pregnancy research may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
The project uses a mouse model of preeclampsia to explore how excess body fat and inflammatory signals, like leptin, affect the early placenta and immune cell behavior. Researchers will measure inflammatory mediators and perform single-cell sequencing to identify the cells driving placental inflammation. The goal is to understand whether obesity-related inflammation disrupts placental blood vessel development, contributing to preeclampsia. Results could point to new ways to prevent or lessen risk for expectant mothers with obesity. This work combines in vivo experiments with tissue analysis to connect maternal health, placental biology, and pregnancy outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to strategies to reduce preeclampsia risk in pregnant people with obesity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies using obesity-related inflammation in pregnancy have shown links to placental changes, but this work aims to pinpoint causal pathways at the maternal-fetal interface.
Where this research is happening
-
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sones, Jennifer Liford — Colorado State University
- Study coordinator: Sones, Jennifer Liford
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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.