The role of human milk mirna at the intersection between maternal health and child growth and immune development

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development awarded Rhode Island Hospital $168,056 on September 1, 2026, under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to characterize variations in human milk microRNA profiles and examine relationships between microRNA composition and infant weight gain and immune system maturation.

The research leverages an existing longitudinal study of 400 pregnant women and their infants in the Philippines, requiring no additional subject recruitment or sample collection. The work proceeds in two aims: first, determining human milk microRNA profiles in mothers who are underweight or infected with Schistosoma japonicum helminth, with the hypothesis that underweight mothers will show decreased growth-related microRNA and infected mothers will show downregulated immunomodulatory microRNA; second, examining impacts on infants, including associations between low levels of growth-related microRNA and infant wasting, and relationships between higher levels of immunoregulatory microRNA and more mature infant immune systems.

The period of performance runs September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031. Work is performed in Providence, Rhode Island. Rhode Island Hospital, a division of Lifespan Corporation and Brown University affiliate, holds the award as a clinical research institution with established strengths in infectious disease and pediatric research.

Abstract

Microrna (mirna) are short, non-coding RNA that act as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and have been implicated in many pathways in infant development. Milk is one of the richest sources of mirna in the human body, yet we know very little about how the maternal environment impacts mirna profiles, and how this influences infant development. The overall objectives of this project are to a) characterize variations in the human milk mirna profile of mothers who are underweight or harbor a helminth infection, and b) examine the relationship between mirna profile and both infant weight gain and immune system maturation. To test this hypothesis, we will leverage a well-characterized longitudinal study of 400 pregnant women and their infants residing in the philippines. Hence, this proposal requires no additional subject recruitment or sample collection. In aim 1 we will determine the human milk mirna profile in states of maternal disease including a) underweight mothers, with the hypothesis that mothers who are underweight will have decreases in mirna related to growth, and b) mothers infected with the helminth schistosoma japonicum, with the hypothesis that immunomodulatory mirna will be down regulated. In aim 2 we will then examine the impact of human milk mirna on infants, including a) impaired weight gain, with the hypothesis that mother's milk with low levels of growth-related mirna will be associated with infant wasting, and b) immune system maturity, with the hypothesis that infants receiving milk with higher levels of immunoregulatory mirna will have a more mature immune system. The candidate is firmly committed to a career in investigating the impact of human milk composition on infant growth and immune development and is strongly supported in her career and research goals by her mentors and her division at the warren alpert medical school of brown university, where she is an assistant professor of emergency medicine. The current proposal includes a comprehensive career development plan including hands-on training, coursework, and structured mentorship, to 1) acquire the conceptual frameworks and specific knowledge to understand human milk science in relation to maternal and child health, 2) strengthen skills in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, with a focus on analysis of genomic data in relation to health outcomes, 3) develop expertise in the conduct of mirna science, and 4) further career development as an independent physician scientist in global maternal child health research. The candidate's primary mentor, DR. Jeffrey bailey, and her CO-mentors, DR. Jennifer friedman, DR. ANN moormann, DR. Sarbattama SEN, and DR. Zhijin WU all are NIH-funded career scientists with extensive experience in mentorship of early stage investigators to research independence. Completion of this comprehensive training plan will provide the candidate with the skills and experience necessary to become a successful independent investigator specializing in the impact of human milk profiles in infant growth and immune development.