Gut microbes and blood chemicals linked to pain after kidney transplant
The Gut Microbiome and Serum Metabolites as a Biological Mechanism Underlying Pain in Kidney Transplantation (Biome-KT)
This project looks at how changes in gut bacteria and blood metabolites relate to chronic pain in adults after a kidney transplant.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11336389 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a kidney transplant recipient, you would provide stool samples, blood draws, and answers about your pain, diet, and stress at several visits after transplant. Researchers will sequence the gut microbiome and measure chemicals in the blood to see how their changes line up with pain symptoms over time. The study follows people repeatedly so it can track how switching off a renal diet, eating habits, and psychological stress might influence microbes, metabolites, and pain. The goal is to find patterns that point to practical ways to reduce pain through diet, stress management, or microbiome-targeted approaches.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (age 21 and older) who have received a kidney transplant and can provide stool and blood samples and complete follow-up visits are the ideal participants.
Not a fit: People who have not had a kidney transplant, children, or anyone unable or unwilling to provide repeated stool or blood samples and questionnaire data are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to treatable biological pathways—like diet, stress, or the gut microbiome—that reduce chronic pain after kidney transplantation.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research links the gut microbiome and metabolites to chronic pain in other conditions, but applying this repeated-measures approach specifically to kidney transplant recipients is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, UNITED STATES
- University of Illinois at Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lockwood, Mark — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Lockwood, Mark
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.