# Womb to Tomb:  Developmental Programming and Aging Interactions in Primates

> **NIH NIH U19** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2024 · $100,000

## Abstract

Significant gaps exist in our understanding of normal aging processes, the impact of these processes on health
trajectories, and the influence of exposures as individual’s age. These gaps must be addressed to devise
effective therapies that increase health-span. It is well-established that the earliest exposures affecting health-
span occur in utero during fetal development. One common challenge, maternal over nutrition (MON) during
gestation is an adverse exposure that disproportionally affects individuals from disadvantaged communities.
The long-term impacts of MON are important in public health, but difficult to determine in humans due to
extensive confounding by multiple environmental and social factors. The baboon is a nonhuman primate (NHP)
species highly similar to humans in genetics, physiology, and metabolism, and naturally develops age-
associated diseases. We have been studying baboons longitudinally to examine the impact of a Western diet
on age-associated diseases, and dissect the impact of MON on health-span. In Cycle 1 of this U19 we
hypothesized that MON leads to accelerated aging, but with similar trajectories to normal aging. Our studies
have shown that in utero MON developmentally programs (DP) molecular, cellular, and functional processes,
leading to fundamentally different aging processes and trajectories compared to healthy aging animals. An
understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms that differ due to exposures is essential for development of
therapies that target appropriate systems. In Cycle 2 of the U19 we propose to integrate discoveries from
molecules with whole animal measures to better understand established and novel hallmarks of aging. For
these planned studies in Cycle 2 to be feasible, it is essential that we maintain the unique cohort of MON
animals and their age-matched controls. The requested bridge funds will cover animal per diems of the cohort
to guarantee that these animals are not assigned to other studies at the Southwest National Primate Research
Center during the NCE of our U19 program.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11100555
- **Project number:** 3U19AG057758-06S1
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** GEOFFREY DAVID CLARKE
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $100,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11100555

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11100555, Womb to Tomb:  Developmental Programming and Aging Interactions in Primates (3U19AG057758-06S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-14 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11100555. Licensed CC0.

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