Exploring how aging affects the support system for intestinal stem cells
Official title: Understanding the role of the stromal cell niche in intestinal stem cell aging
Funded at Massachusetts Institute of Technology · NIH-10889912 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how getting older affects the special cells that help keep your gut healthy, focusing on a protein called RSPO3, to see if changes in this protein might explain why gut health can decline with age, which could lead to new ways to support gut health as we grow older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $136,674 |
| NIH project number | 5K99AG076987-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10889912 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals aged 65 and older who may experience age-related decline in gut health.
✕Less likely to help
Patients under the age of 65 or those without age-related gut health issues may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how aging impacts the stromal cell niche that supports intestinal stem cells (ISCs), which are crucial for maintaining gut health. The study focuses on a specific protein, RSPO3, produced by stromal cells, and how its levels change with age. By using advanced mouse models and co-culture systems, researchers aim to understand the decline in the function of these supportive cells in older individuals. The findings could reveal new insights into the mechanisms of aging and potential interventions to enhance ISC function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for improving gut health and function in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the role of stromal cells in aging, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goto, Norihiro — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Goto, Norihiro
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Understanding how brain resilience and multiple brain pathologies influence aging and Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study follows older adults to learn how resilience to brain changes helps reduce dementia risk and what biological factors are linked to better cognitive aging.
-
National Neighborhood Data Archive helps researchers study aging health in U.S. neighborhoods
A nationwide data resource will help researchers understand how where people live affects health and aging, with a focus on respiratory illnesses in older adults.
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.