Better lab models of the gut and immune response to infections
Immunology Core
Creating realistic lab-grown gut tissues and immune cell combinations to learn how young children's bodies fight diarrheal infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11133021 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are building co-culture models that combine human intestinal epithelial cells with innate immune cells on a porous scaffold to mimic the structure and interactions of the human gut. They will seed epithelial monolayers on a collagen-coated scaffold that allows direct cell-to-cell contact and add macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells to study coordinated responses to enteric bacteria. The Immunology Core will provide technical support and standardized methods for multiple projects so lab experiments better reflect human biology. These refined models aim to reveal how epithelial and immune cells work together during infections to inform improved treatments and prevention strategies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who could be involved are donors providing blood or tissue samples, including children affected by diarrheal illnesses or adult healthy volunteers, depending on the specific project needs.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or those with non-infectious gastrointestinal conditions are unlikely to receive direct personal benefit from this lab-based model development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better treatments, vaccines, or prevention strategies for childhood diarrheal diseases by clarifying how human gut and immune cells respond to pathogens.
How similar studies have performed: Gut organoid and immune co-culture approaches have shown promise in other labs but are still being refined to fully capture human gut-immune interactions.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- University of Maryland Baltimore — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pasetti, Marcela F — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Pasetti, Marcela F
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.