Helping gut stem cells heal after a bone marrow transplant
Regulation of the intestinal stem cell compartment after hematopoietic transplantation
This work tests whether immune signals and the protein IL-22 can protect and rebuild gut lining stem cells after an allogeneic bone marrow transplant to reduce intestinal graft-versus-host disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11228182 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you've had an allogeneic bone marrow transplant and developed gut GVHD, researchers are studying how donor immune cells and inflammatory molecules damage the gut's stem cells that renew the intestinal lining. They use laboratory and transplant models to show that interferon-gamma from donor T cells can trigger stem cell death while IL-22 can directly help those stem cells survive and regenerate. Those lab findings led to a multicenter clinical trial giving recombinant human IL-22 to patients with new gastrointestinal acute GVHD. The team also examines how common treatments like corticosteroids interact with stem cell recovery to find safer ways to promote intestinal healing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Best candidates are people who've had an allogeneic bone marrow transplant and are at risk for or have newly diagnosed gastrointestinal acute graft-versus-host disease.
Not a fit: People without an allogeneic transplant, those with unrelated causes of intestinal disease, or patients with chronic (not acute) GVHD are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce intestinal injury after transplant and speed recovery from gastrointestinal acute GVHD.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies showed IL-22 helps intestinal stem cells recover and these results supported an early multicenter clinical trial of recombinant human IL-22 in new gastrointestinal acute GVHD.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hanash, Alan M — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Hanash, Alan M
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.