Understanding how breast milk affects body communication
Decoding endocrine and paracrine communication through mammokines
This project aims to understand how the mammary gland, especially during breastfeeding, communicates with other organs to influence conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167668 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies have complex ways that different organs talk to each other, which is important for health and can go wrong in conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. We are exploring a less understood area: how the mammary gland, which produces breast milk, sends signals that affect other organs. Breastfeeding is known to help mothers reduce their risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and also benefits their children's health. Using advanced tools like single-cell analysis, we are looking for specific signaling molecules from the mammary gland that might influence how fat cells work.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is relevant to individuals interested in the long-term health effects of breastfeeding and the development of metabolic conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment options for existing conditions may not directly benefit from this early-stage research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to understand and prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes, particularly for mothers and children.
How similar studies have performed: While the importance of organ communication is known, this specific focus on the mammary gland's secretome and its role in inter-organ communication for obesity and diabetes is a relatively unexplored area, leveraging recent technological advancements.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rajbhandari, Prashant — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Rajbhandari, Prashant
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.