Gut bacteria and immune causes of colitis from CTLA-4 cancer therapy
Official title: Microbiota-Immune Interactions in CTLA-4 Antibody Blockade-Induced Colitis
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11331237 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how gut bacteria and immune responses cause bowel inflammation in people getting CTLA-4 cancer antibodies so we can find ways to prevent or treat it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $492,372 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK140094-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11331237 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People receiving CTLA-4 (with or without PD-1/PD-L1) cancer immunotherapy, especially those who develop colitis or who can donate stool or tissue samples, are the most relevant candidates for related participation or sample donation.
✕Less likely to help
People not treated with immune checkpoint antibodies or whose bowel problems are from infections, ischemia, or other non-immune causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you or someone you know receives CTLA-4 cancer antibodies and develops bowel inflammation, this work aims to explain why that happens. Researchers use mice given a wild-type-like gut microbiome to recreate the colitis seen in patients and then study the immune cells (CD4+, CD8+ T cells and neutrophils) that accumulate in the colon. They compare the mouse findings with immune cells and samples from patients to find common bacterial and immune pathways. The team hopes to identify targets that could be blocked or modified to reduce immune-related colitis and help patients stay on cancer therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify bacterial or immune targets to prevent or treat checkpoint-inhibitor colitis so patients can continue effective cancer immunotherapy.
How similar studies have gone: Prior human studies have linked gut bacteria to immunotherapy effects and toxicities, but robust animal models of CTLA-4–induced colitis have been limited, so this project builds on promising observations with a new preclinical model.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nunez, Gabriel — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Nunez, Gabriel
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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.