Could gut microbes be making belly fat worse?
Is Obesity an Infectious Disease?: Gut bacterial and fungal translocation as an underappreciated driver of visceral adipose expansion.
This project looks at whether bacteria and fungi that move from the gut into belly fat help drive dangerous visceral (abdominal) fat in children and adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11135601 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research follows findings that certain bacteria and fungi can move from the gut into nearby belly fat and promote tissue expansion. Researchers will analyze human tissue and microbial samples and use laboratory models to see how those microbes affect visceral adipose tissue. The team aims to use that knowledge to design microbiome-based approaches that could selectively reduce or prevent harmful belly fat. If you join related studies, you might be asked to provide stool or tissue samples or visit the study center for testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with abdominal or visceral obesity (including adults and children with overweight/obesity) would be the most likely candidates for related participation.
Not a fit: People at a healthy body weight or those not willing/able to provide biological samples or travel to the study site are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new ways to prevent or reduce harmful visceral belly fat by targeting gut microbes.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier lab work, including the PI's Crohn’s disease research, showed microbes can move into fat and drive 'creeping fat', but applying this concept to common obesity is a newer direction.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Devkota, Suzanne — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Devkota, Suzanne
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.