Preventing and improving asthma care for children in urban communities
Official title: Childhood Asthma in Urban Settings Clinical Research Network - Leadership Center
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11521837 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will try several approaches — from giving helpful bacteria to babies to allergy immunotherapy and advanced airway testing — to prevent and better treat asthma in children who live in cities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | April 12, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $176,735 |
| NIH project number | 3UM1AI160040-06S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11521837 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children living in urban communities — including infants at risk for asthma and children with allergic or severe asthma, especially those with cockroach allergy or frequent exacerbations — would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children without asthma or asthma risk factors, or those who cannot attend visits at participating urban sites, are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from these protocols.
What this research studies
This leadership center coordinates multiple clinical protocols focused on childhood asthma in urban areas. It includes a trial of immune-modulating bacteria given in infancy to help the gut and airway develop, allergy immunotherapy targeting cockroach allergy common in city homes, and detailed airway cell and multi-omics testing during severe attacks that lead to ER visits. Some parts enroll infants or children for interventions and others collect airway samples during exacerbations to learn which biological pathways are involved. The center brings together clinics across urban communities to run these coordinated efforts and share findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could prevent some children from developing asthma, reduce severe attacks, and lead to more personalized and effective treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Some elements, like using probiotics or immune-targeted allergy treatment, have shown mixed promise in prior work while the detailed airway profiling and multi-omics during severe attacks are newer and less proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jackson, Daniel J — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Jackson, Daniel J
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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.