Commensal fungi help gut wound healing by changing host metabolites
Official title: Commensal fungi promote wound repair by modulating host metabolites
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11411173 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how natural gut fungi help wounds in the intestinal lining heal by altering body metabolites, potentially guiding new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $465,444 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK142751-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11411173 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with inflammatory bowel disease or those experiencing chronic intestinal wounds, for whom microbiota- and metabolite-based therapies could be developed.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without inflammatory bowel conditions or those not experiencing intestinal wound healing may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how endogenous fungi in the gut influence the repair of intestinal wounds using mouse injury models and human fungal isolates. They will examine epithelial cell responses, metabolite production (including Palmitoylethanolamide, PEA), and how PEA dampens inflammatory activation of fibroblasts to promote healing. The work combines advanced techniques like conditional knockout mice, single-cell RNA sequencing, primary cell cultures, and metabolomics to map the repair pathway and identify key fungal-driven signals. If successful, this could reveal new targets to enhance gut healing in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. The study is conducted at Washington University with a focus on translational relevance to human health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding how gut fungi promote wound repair could lead to new therapies that improve healing in inflammatory bowel disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown microbial influences on gut repair, but this project is among the first to link nonbacterial fungi to epithelial signaling and PEA-mediated repair.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jain, Umang — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Jain, Umang
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Diabetic Foot Ulcer Healing Network at the University of Arizona
A NIH-supported project at the University of Arizona aims to improve healing of diabetic foot ulcers by studying biomarkers and running high-quality clinical trials.
-
Understanding how skin layers coordinate healing after injury
Researchers are studying how different layers of adult skin coordinate rapid healing after injury to prevent infection and chronic wounds.
-
Immunomodulatory therapy to speed up healing after oral cavity injuries in kids
A new approach using a drug called FTY720 aims to improve healing and reduce pain after oral injuries or palate surgery in children.
-
How diabetic wounds let Group B Streptococcus cause infections
Researchers are learning how high blood sugar, immune changes, and other bacteria in diabetic wounds help Group B Streptococcus grow and cause worse infections in people with diabetes.
-
Understanding how skin cells exchange harmful chemicals to cause injury and wound repair
A research project aims to uncover how certain chemical agents damage human skin and what happens in the early stages of blistering and inflammation.
-
Intestinal mucosal wound healing in humans
A patient-friendly look at how the lining of the gut repairs itself after injury and why this matters for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease.
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.