# Project 3

> **NIH NIH P42** · TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $222,606

## Abstract

Project 3 Abstract
Exposures to environmental hazardous substances, including those in the event of natural and anthropogenic
disasters, are known to negatively impact pregnancy, leading to adverse outcomes such as preterm birth (PTB).
However, establishing a clear link between exposure and pregnancy risk is challenging, due to lack of a
mechanistic knowledge by which toxicants activate pathways causing PTB in maternal-fetal tissues.
Unfortunately, current in vitro and in vivo toxicity testing models are either not sufficient in assessing the hazards
of tested substances on pregnancy outcomes, do not represent the human in utero structure and functions
accurately, or are too costly and low throughput. In addition, assessment of the hazards imposed by exposures
to complex environmental samples that may contain multiple hazardous chemicals, often observed after
disasters, is even more challenging. Here, we propose to develop a feto-maternal (F-M) interface tissue chip-
based testing strategy for assessing the human health hazard of environmental substances on PTB. Our central
hypothesis is that a tissue chip model that mimics the physiology of the complex multi-cellular F-M interface will
enable evaluation of the mechanistic pathophysiologic pathways affected by exposure to complex environmental
hazardous substances that may increase the risk of PTB. These tissue chip models mimic the fetal and maternal
uterine tissues structurally and functionally, and will be used to evaluate mechanistic pathophysiologic pathways
in the F-M interface imposed by complex mixed environmental hazardous substances. This will be accomplished
through the following three aims. In Aim 1, we will develop a mechanistic model of PTB in response to
environmental toxicants using a fetal membrane tissue chip model. In Aim 2, we will develop a mechanistic
model of PTB in response to environmental toxicants using a placenta tissue chip model. In Aim 3, which will
focus on the application of our novel models for Disaster Research Response (DR2), we will demonstrate rapid
assessment of the potential human health hazards of environmental exposures on disrupting F-M homeostasis
that can lead to PTB by using a higher-throughput F-M tissue chip model. The success of this proposed research
will provide critical and timely information for hazard assessment on toxicants’ impact on PTB using tissue chip
models, especially related to toxicants from existing Superfund sites and from emergency disaster-related
contaminants. Thematically, this project is well integrated into the Texas A&M University Superfund Research
Center that is focusing on addressing the human health risks of exposure to hazardous substances during and
after emergencies, especially the effects on particularly vulnerable populations (pregnant women and children).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10349753
- **Project number:** 2P42ES027704-06
- **Recipient organization:** TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Arum Han
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $222,606
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2022-09-20 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10349753

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10349753, Project 3 (2P42ES027704-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10349753. Licensed CC0.

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