Gut immune changes in Lewy body disorders
Official title: Role of altered gut immune response in Lewy Body Disease
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11369405 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether changes in gut immune signals and gut bacteria are linked to Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and people with early signs like REM sleep behavior disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $215,000 |
| NIH project number | 3U01DK140939-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11369405 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies, and people with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder, who can attend Stanford visits and provide gut samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without Lewy body disorders or unrelated neurologic conditions, and those unwilling or unable to provide stool or colon samples, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You would join a study that compares people with Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and those with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder to healthy volunteers. The team will collect gut-related samples (for example stool and possibly colon biopsies), measure immune cells and antibodies, and analyze the gut microbiome and physiological signs. Researchers will combine these human data with laboratory models to explore how microbial and immune changes might contribute to brain disease. Findings will be used to connect gut changes with symptoms and to identify possible targets for future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal gut-based markers or targets that help detect Lewy body disorders earlier or guide new treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have suggested links between the gut microbiome, immune changes, and Parkinson's disease, but comprehensive human-to-lab mechanistic work like this remains relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Poston, Kathleen Lombard — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Poston, Kathleen Lombard
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.