How a gut protein (P-glycoprotein) affects inflammatory bowel disease
Official title: Mechanisms Underlying Role of Intestinal P-glycoprotein in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Funded at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center · NIH-11264647 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether problems with a gut protein called P‑glycoprotein contribute to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and how that changes gut bacteria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jesse Brown VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2015 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX002867-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11264647 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be adults with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease who are willing to provide samples or consider joining related future clinical studies.
✕Less likely to help
People without inflammatory bowel disease or those needing immediate symptom relief are unlikely to directly benefit from this mechanistic research.
What this research studies
If you have ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, this project studies whether a gut lining protein called P‑glycoprotein (ABCB1) helps protect your intestine from toxins and bacteria. The team uses mice that lack P‑glycoprotein to see how loss of the protein harms Paneth cell defenses, reduces antimicrobial peptides, and shifts the mix of gut bacteria. They compare those animal findings with patterns seen in people with IBD and track changes in bacteria and metabolites like short‑chain fatty acids. The researchers hope these steps will point to ways to restore gut defenses or rebalance the microbiome.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new biological targets to prevent or reduce gut inflammation and lead to therapies that protect the intestinal lining.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal and patient studies have linked reduced P‑glycoprotein to colitis and related microbiome changes, but turning those findings into treatments is still early and experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Saksena, Seema — Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Saksena, Seema
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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.