How early gut bacteria shape lifelong immune health
Immune interactions with commensal microbes in early life
This project looks at how bacteria in the gut during the first weeks of life influence the developing immune system and future risk of allergies or autoimmune problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11258869 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use laboratory and animal models to track how live gut bacteria move into immune tissues during the preweaning period and how they interact with developing T cells. They will examine how early exposures such as antibiotics, feeding timing, and hygiene change which bacteria translocate and the immune responses they trigger. The team will measure antigen-specific T cell reactions to particular translocating bacterial species and compare differences between individual animals. The overall aim is to link specific early microbial events to durable changes in immune balance that affect later risk of immune-driven diseases.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Families with newborns or infants in the preweaning period who can provide clinical information or biological samples would be the most relevant participants for related human components.
Not a fit: People outside the early-life window, such as adults with long-standing immune disease, are unlikely to receive direct short-term benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify early microbial interactions that lower long-term risk of allergies and autoimmune disease and guide preventive strategies in infants.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal and preliminary studies support the idea that early microbiota shape immune development and that bacterial translocation can drive antigen-specific T cell responses, but the detailed mechanisms remain incompletely understood.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hsieh, Chyi S — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Hsieh, Chyi S
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.