Placental exposure to tiny plastics and how they may affect pregnancy
Official title: Placental translocation and toxicity of environmentally relevant nanoplastics
Funded at New Jersey Institute of Technology · NIH-11605864 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Tiny plastic particles in the environment may reach pregnant bodies and developing placentas, potentially impacting pregnancy outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New Jersey Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $759,977 |
| NIH project number | 1R56ES037652-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11605864 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant individuals whose placenta samples or cells can be modeled in organoid systems or who are part of rodent studies.
✕Less likely to help
Pregnant individuals whose condition does not involve exposure to nanoplastics or placental biology may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will study how environmentally realistic nanoplastics travel to and interact with the placenta in pregnant animals and human placental organoid models. Researchers will compare real-world nanoplastics to traditional polystyrene spheres to see which particles cause more disruption. The goal is to understand how these plastics could affect placental development and fetal growth, which could influence guidelines for exposure and safety in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify how nanoplastics affect the placenta and fetal development, informing safer environmental practices and potential clinical monitoring during pregnancy.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary findings in related fields suggest that environmental particles can reach placental tissue and influence development, but this study adds environment-specific particle types and human placental models.
Where this research is happening
-
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Warner, Genoa R — New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Warner, Genoa R
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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.