Genes that control how the gut absorbs and processes dietary fats
Identifying genes required for digestive physiology and lipid metabolism
Looks at how gut genes and microbes change intestinal cells' handling of fats after a high-fat meal to help people with obesity, fatty liver, and heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11293391 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient’s view, researchers use transparent zebrafish to watch how gut cells store and move fats after a fatty meal and how gut microbes change that response. They focus on two gut cell types — absorptive enterocytes that package fats for the bloodstream and enteroendocrine cells that release hormone signals — and track lipid droplets, ApoB-containing lipoproteins, and calcium-dependent signaling. The team alters specific genes and the microbiota and then measures lipid handling, hormone release, and gene activity using advanced imaging and genetic tools. Over many years they have developed new tools in zebrafish to reveal microbe-influenced transcription factors that coordinate post-meal responses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project is laboratory-based using zebrafish and does not recruit or enroll patients for clinical participation.
Not a fit: Patients looking for immediate changes in their care are unlikely to benefit directly because the work is preclinical and intended to guide future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new gene or microbe-based targets to prevent or treat obesity, fatty liver, high cholesterol, and other metabolic diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Previous zebrafish and cell studies have revealed important lipid-handling pathways, but the specific focus on microbe-influenced transcription factors coordinating enterocyte and enteroendocrine responses is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Farber, Steven a — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Farber, Steven a
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.