Gut microbiome and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women
Official title: The Human Gut Microbiome and Incident Breast Cancer: A Prospective Epidemiologic Approach
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11427932 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large, long-term study will look at how gut bacteria and their metabolites relate to breast cancer risk in women before diagnosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $723,569 |
| NIH project number | 1R37CA315609-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11427932 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with prediagnostic stool samples and available data from the Nurses’ Health Study II, particularly those without current breast cancer
✕Less likely to help
Results may be less directly applicable to men or individuals outside the studied cohort or with different health profiles
What this research studies
This project will use data and samples from a long-running cohort of more than 18,000 nurses to examine stool microbes, stool metabolites, and blood biomarkers before breast cancer develops. Researchers will apply whole-metagenome sequencing to identify specific gut bacteria and functional pathways, alongside metabolomics and hormone/inflammation markers, to understand potential mechanisms linking the microbiome to cancer risk. The goal is to determine whether certain microbiome features are associated with higher or lower risk and whether they may play a causal role or reflect early disease changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new ways to assess breast cancer risk and potential microbiome-targeted strategies for prevention.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier work suggests gut microbes relate to estrogen metabolism and inflammation, but this study uses a prospective, multi-omics approach and may yield new insights
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Tengteng — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Wang, Tengteng
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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.