How beta7 integrin controls gut bacteria that trigger IBD
Official title: Control by Beta 7 integrins of the bacterial triggers of IBD
Funded at VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-11264942 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether the beta7 integrin changes gut B cells, IgA antibodies, and gut bacteria that can trigger inflammatory bowel disease patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA San Diego Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX005951-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11264942 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, especially those taking or considering integrin-targeting therapies like vedolizumab, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without inflammatory bowel disease or with symptoms unrelated to gut immune responses are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Researchers use mouse models that mimic Crohn’s-like ileitis and colitis and remove or block the beta7 integrin to see how that changes B cell movement, IgA-producing cells, and gut inflammation. They compare normal and beta7-deficient mice and use an antibody that blocks the beta7 pathway to replicate the effect of drugs like vedolizumab. The team measures lamina propria B cells, IgA levels, bacterial communities, and disease severity, and transfers fecal microbiota between mice to test whether altered microbes cause or worsen colitis. Results are meant to explain how beta7-targeting therapies influence gut immunity and microbes in IBD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could explain why some integrin-blocking drugs change gut antibodies and microbes and help guide safer or more effective IBD treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Clinical observations have shown vedolizumab can lower secretory IgA and weaken oral vaccine responses, but linking beta7-related B cell and microbiota changes to worsened IBD is a newer area of study.
Where this research is happening
-
VA San Diego Healthcare System
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rivera-Nieves, Jesus — VA San Diego Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Rivera-Nieves, Jesus
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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.