Diet to lower colon cancer risk by changing bile acids and gut bacteria
Official title: Dietary prevention for colorectal cancer: targeting the bile acid/gut microbiome axis
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11231980 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | July 13, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $248,909 |
| NIH project number | 4R00CA283146-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11231980 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Kai — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Wang, Kai
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This study is working to help more people get screened for colorectal cancer and receive the follow-up care they need, especially those who haven't been screened much before, so that everyone can have better access to important health checks and improve their overall health.
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.