Gut bacteria and benign breast disease
Identifying the role of the gut microbiome in the etiology of benign breast disease
Researchers compare gut bacteria and their metabolic products in women to see if differences are linked to benign breast disease and hormone-related breast risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11256731 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be represented through data and stool samples from women in the Nurses’ Health Study II, where researchers will compare gut bacterial communities across about 1,800 participants based on hormonal factors. They will then focus on a nested case-control group of roughly 300 women to compare microbiome patterns in those who developed the high-risk, proliferative form of benign breast disease versus those who did not. The team will use 16S rRNA gene sequencing to map bacterial types and will measure microbial metabolites to explore effects on estrogen balance. Together these steps aim to explain whether gut microbes help link hormone-related factors to benign breast changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adult women—especially those enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II or willing to provide stool samples and hormone/health histories—whether they have benign breast disease or not.
Not a fit: People currently seeking immediate treatment for active breast cancer or those unable to provide stool samples are unlikely to directly benefit from this observational study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to gut bacterial markers or metabolic pathways that help predict or prevent benign breast disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked the gut microbiome to estrogen metabolism and breast cancer risk, but systematic work directly focused on benign breast disease is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Tengteng — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Wang, Tengteng
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.