Dietary fiber, gut bacteria, and gut inflammation after bone marrow transplant
Dietary fiber, mucin-degrading Bacteroides, and intestinal GVHD
This project looks at whether eating more fiber changes certain gut bacteria and helps protect the gut in people who get an allogeneic bone marrow transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Duarte, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11196072 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will examine how dietary fiber influences bacteria that eat the mucus lining in the colon and how those changes affect gut inflammation after allogeneic bone marrow transplant. The team will study a common gut microbe, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, and other bacteria that can degrade mucin to see how their activity shifts with different nutrients. Work will combine laboratory models, analysis of microbial communities, and examination of tissue or stool samples to trace effects on the mucus barrier and immune responses. Findings aim to point toward dietary approaches or microbiome-targeted therapies that could reduce intestinal graft-versus-host disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who have received or will receive an allogeneic bone marrow transplant and who can provide stool or tissue samples or participate in future diet-related trials.
Not a fit: People without an allogeneic transplant or whose symptoms are unrelated to gut microbiota or mucus barrier function may not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to dietary guidance or microbiome-based strategies that lower the risk or severity of intestinal graft-versus-host disease after transplant.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies and observational human data link the gut microbiome and diet to transplant outcomes and show fiber can protect the mucus layer, but controlled dietary interventions in transplant patients remain limited.
Where this research is happening
Duarte, United States
- Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope — Duarte, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martens, Eric C — Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
- Study coordinator: Martens, Eric C
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.