Diet to lower colon cancer risk by changing bile acids and gut bacteria
Dietary prevention for colorectal cancer: targeting the bile acid/gut microbiome axis
A diet that lowers harmful bile acids and shifts gut bacteria to help reduce colorectal cancer risk in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11231980 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project tests whether a diet designed to reduce harmful secondary bile acids and change the gut microbiome can lower colorectal cancer risk. Researchers will analyze decades of repeated diet records and blood metabolite measurements, including bile acid markers, from large long-term cohorts with known cancer outcomes. They will use those links to build a practical dietary score that specifically targets the gut microbiome–bile acid pathway. The goal is to create clearer, actionable diet guidance people can follow to lower their colon cancer risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults concerned about colorectal cancer who can share long-term diet information, provide blood samples, or join cohort research are the most likely candidates to participate or benefit.
Not a fit: People with advanced colorectal cancer or whose cancer risk is driven primarily by non-dietary genetic factors may not receive direct benefit from a dietary prevention approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce a practical diet score or recommendations that help lower colorectal cancer risk by reducing harmful bile acids.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies link gut bacteria and secondary bile acids to colon cancer and show general healthy diets give modest protection, but creating a diet specifically to lower secondary bile acids is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Kai — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Wang, Kai
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.