# Neuroendocrine Systems involved in Early-life Programming for Obesity and Diabetes

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2022 · $696,328

## Abstract

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The prevalence and severity of childhood obesity have increased dramatically and are coupled with alarming
30% rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in youth over the last decade. Mounting evidence
suggests that exposures to maternal obesity and/or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in utero contribute to
these increases in childhood obesity and T2D. Studies from our group and others have shown that children
who were exposed in utero to maternal obesity or GDM have greater adiposity and a higher risk for developing
T2D compared to unexposed children. Studies in siblings discordant for maternal exposures suggest that the
risk is in excess of that attributable to genetics and shared environment. The biological underpinnings of such
maternal-fetal programming are poorly understood. Provocative studies in animal models reveal that
intrauterine exposure to maternal obesity and/or diabetes results in alterations in the development of the
hypothalamus, a brain area that is critical for the regulation of appetite and glucose homeostasis, leading to
obesity and T2D later in life. To date, no studies have investigated the effects of exposure to maternal obesity
or GDM on brain appetite pathways in humans. The overarching goal of this proposal is to test the hypothesis
that in utero exposure to maternal obesity and/or GDM alters the structure and function of brain appetite
pathways in ways that adversely impact energy balance and increases future risk for obesity and T2D in
humans. Overall, these studies are highly innovative and have the potential to translate mechanistic findings in
humans into early intervention strategies aimed at preventing the vicious cycle of maternal obesity/GDM and
childhood obesity and T2D.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10320405
- **Project number:** 5R01DK116858-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Kathleen Alanna Page
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $696,328
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-02-13 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10320405

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10320405, Neuroendocrine Systems involved in Early-life Programming for Obesity and Diabetes (5R01DK116858-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10320405. Licensed CC0.

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