# The maternal microbiome in childhood growth and immunity during undernutrition

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2024 · $113,050

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Globally, undernutrition contributes to 44% of childhood deaths under the age of five. Stunting, or
reduced linear growth, is a major complication of undernutrition that is associated with increased risk of
metabolic and infectious disease, reduced educational attainment and poor cognitive function later in life.
Stunted mothers are more likely to experience complications during childbirth, and to give birth to stunted
children. In turn, many children that are born stunted do not recover despite current therapeutic interventions.
Therefore, stunting is often referred to as an intergenerational syndrome, and new approaches are desperately
needed to improve childhood growth in vulnerable populations.
 The maternal immune system plays a major role in shaping offspring physical, cognitive and immune
development. The gut microbiota likewise influences both local and systemic immunity, raising the possibility
that the maternal microbiome could influence fetal and childhood development. We hypothesize that maternal
gut microbial composition shapes the fetal immune environment to control offspring growth and
immune development during undernutrition. We propose to use a mouse model of intergenerational
undernutrition to identify specific immune and microbial targets for therapeutic intervention. Our preliminary
data demonstrate that breeding mice colonized with microbiota from healthy or severely stunted donors
produce offspring with divergent weight, bone, and immune developmental phenotypes that persist into
maturity.
 We will use this model to isolate the role of the maternal gut microbiome from the neonatal microbiome,
giving critical insight into the window of potential intervention. We will also identify specific subsets of microbes
that are capable of influencing offspring growth and immune development and characterize microbial metabolic
products associated with these changes. Finally, we will identify maternal immune cells and signaling pathways
that respond to these microbial communities to control healthy growth and immune development in offspring.
These experiments will identify specific microbial species as well as host immune pathways to target
therapeutically, and define the appropriate developmental stage in which to intervene. The Cowardin lab is
located within the Child Health Research Center at the University of Virginia, and as a member of the Trans-
University Microbiome Initiative, is uniquely suited to pursuing these studies. The lab has both the
infrastructure and expertise required for successful completion of these goals. Ultimately, this proposal will lead
to potential probiotic and immunotherapeutic treatments to disrupt the transmission of stunting from mother to
child.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11001430
- **Project number:** 3R01HD105729-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Carrie A Cowardin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $113,050
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-07-16 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11001430

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11001430, The maternal microbiome in childhood growth and immunity during undernutrition (3R01HD105729-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11001430. Licensed CC0.

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