Tissue-chip test to understand how environmental hazards affect pregnancy
Official title: Project 3
Funded at Texas A&m University · NIH-11398599 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research team will use a fetal-maternal tissue model to study how environmental toxins, including post-disaster exposures, could raise the risk of preterm birth.
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 start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $235,276 |
| NIH project number | 5P42ES027704-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398599 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly; the study focuses on developing a model of maternal-fetal biology to inform risk assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not described; the work is preclinical.
What this research studies
This project will create a tissue chip that mimics the maternal and fetal parts of the uterus to study how harmful environmental substances affect pregnancy. By using human-like tissues, researchers aim to map the pathways that lead to early labor when exposed to complex mixtures of chemicals. The goal is to provide more accurate hazard assessments than current models, especially for substances released after disasters. The work is designed to be high-throughput and human-relevant, with the hope of identifying mechanisms that could inform safer exposure limits. Overall, it seeks to improve our ability to protect pregnancies from environmental risks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to better screening of environmental hazards and improved protections for pregnant people.
How similar studies have gone: Previous tissue-chip models have shown promise in modeling complex tissue interactions, but this project targets a more comprehensive fetal-metal interface for pregnancy outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m University
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Han, Arum — Texas A&m University
- Study coordinator: Han, Arum
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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.