How gut bacteria affect heart transplant success
Mechanisms of microbiome-driven cardiac allograft outcomes
Looking at whether changes in gut bacteria influence immune reactions and long-term outcomes for people who have had heart transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11327305 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses findings from prior work to explore how the gut microbiome might drive immune damage that harms heart transplants. Researchers will use a clinically relevant mouse model of chronic heart transplant rejection to study changes in bacterial metabolism, how the intestinal barrier and specific gut cell types respond, and how those changes shape immune responses. They will link local gut effects to systemic alloimmunity and graft survival to build a fuller picture of cause-and-effect. The goal is to identify specific microbiome-driven mechanisms that could become targets for future treatments to protect transplanted hearts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have received a heart transplant or are being followed for transplant-related immune complications would be the most directly relevant patients.
Not a fit: People without a heart transplant or whose condition is unrelated to immune-mediated graft injury or the gut microbiome are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce immune-driven graft damage and improve long-term survival after heart transplantation by targeting the gut microbiome.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies suggest the gut microbiome can influence transplant immunity, but the detailed mechanisms remain largely untested and this project takes a novel, mechanistic approach.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- University of Maryland Baltimore — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ma, Bing — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Ma, Bing
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.