Mother–baby tissue chip to understand preterm birth
Project 3
This project builds lab-grown mother–baby tissue models to see how environmental chemicals, including those from disasters, might cause early labor in pregnant people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11126706 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you're pregnant or planning pregnancy, this work aims to recreate the fetal–maternal interface (placenta and uterine tissues) on small 'tissue chips' that copy human structure and function. Researchers will expose these chips to real-world environmental mixtures and disaster-related samples to watch how cells and tissues respond and which biological pathways are activated that can lead to preterm birth. The models use multiple human cell types to be more human-relevant, faster, and less costly than current animal tests, and they are designed to handle complex mixtures that are hard to test now. Findings could point to specific hazardous exposures and mechanisms that help prevent or reduce preterm birth risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people or those planning pregnancy who can donate biological samples or who have known exposure to environmental hazards or disaster-related contaminants.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant (including men), those without relevant exposure histories, or patients needing immediate clinical care are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify environmental exposures that increase the risk of preterm birth and inform ways to protect pregnant people and babies.
How similar studies have performed: Organ-on-chip and placenta-on-chip approaches have shown promise for modeling human placental biology, but applying them to complex environmental mixtures and preterm birth mechanisms is still relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
College Station, United States
- Texas A&m University — College Station, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Han, Arum — Texas A&m University
- Study coordinator: Han, Arum
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.