Cancer center–food bank partnership providing medically tailored food bags to transplant and cell therapy patients
Official title: Addressing Malnutrition in Transplant and Cellular Therapy Patients with Healthcare-Food Bank Partnerships
Funded at University of Kansas Medical Center · NIH-11195727 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project links cancer centers with food banks to give medically tailored food bags during clinic visits to transplant and cellular therapy patients who struggle with food access.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $749,218 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NR021468-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195727 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with hematologic cancers who are receiving stem cell transplant or cellular therapies and who have inconsistent food access or food insecurity.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without food access problems, those not receiving transplant or cellular therapy, or people who do not receive care at participating clinics are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would join a program called NOURISH where cancer centers and food banks work together to prepare medically tailored food bags and hand them out discreetly after your clinic appointment. Dietitians, social workers, nurses, and food bank staff will choose foods that match medical needs and patient preferences so you don’t need an extra trip. The approach will be tested in a multicenter randomized trial among people with blood cancers receiving transplant or cellular therapies, comparing outcomes to usual care. Patients, caregivers, and clinic teams will help shape the food options and delivery process.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce malnutrition, improve recovery and clinic outcomes, and lower healthcare visits and costs for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier efforts like home-delivered meals or clinic food pharmacies showed some benefit but have cost or participation challenges, and this particular clinic-distribution food bank partnership is a novel approach being tested in a randomized trial.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sung, Anthony — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Sung, Anthony
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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NOURISH: Clinically Delivered Food Bank Support for Cancer Patients
A program partners cancer centers with local food banks to deliver medically tailored food bags to patients in the clinic to support nutrition and health.
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Innate and Adaptive Immunoregulation in Liver Transplant Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
A liver transplant-focused project investigates how the body’s early and later immune responses affect transplant failure or success after reperfusion.
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A randomized trial will compare azithromycin, amoxicillin, and placebo as adjunctive antibiotics for children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition to see which supports better weight gain and recovery.
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.