How diet and gut bacteria affect intestinal inflammation

Dietary regulation of type 2 immunity and inflammation in the gut

NIH-funded research Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11263714

This research looks at how high-fiber diets and gut microbes change immune reactions in the colon that can worsen inflammatory bowel disease and inflammation-linked colorectal cancer.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionWeill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11263714 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From a patient's point of view, researchers are using mouse models and controlled microbiota experiments to trace how what you eat changes bacterial metabolites and immune cells in the colon. They are focusing on microbial bile acids and short-chain fatty acids and on immune players like eosinophils, mesenchymal stromal cells, and ILC2s. One aim examines how bile acids drive type 2 cytokines and eosinophil buildup, another looks at how eosinophils contribute to intestinal injury, and a third uses bacterial genetics to find the microbial pathways involved. The work is intended to link dietary components, microbial products, and immune responses that together influence gut inflammation.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's) or those at increased risk for inflammation-associated colorectal cancer would be most likely to benefit from the findings.

Not a fit: People without gut inflammation or those seeking immediate symptom relief are unlikely to receive direct, immediate benefit from this primarily preclinical research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal dietary or microbiome-based approaches to reduce gut inflammation in people with IBD and lower inflammation-related colorectal cancer risk.

How similar studies have performed: Past studies show dietary fibers and microbial metabolites can shape gut immunity, but linking high-inulin fiber to bile-acid-driven eosinophil inflammation is a more recent and still-developing finding.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.