How gut bacteria change body chemicals in health and disease
Human microbiome metabolites in health and disease
This project is finding out how gut bacteria alter the body's natural chemicals and how those changes might affect people with conditions like adult-onset diabetes or mood disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11376340 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are tracing the small molecules that form when gut bacteria transform host-produced compounds such as bile acids, steroids, and vitamins. They will use chemical analysis, bacterial genetics, and lab models to map the pathways that make these metabolites. The team will test how those bacterial products influence host cells and physiology, and will work with human-derived samples when available. The goal is to link specific bacterial chemical changes to effects on health and disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with adult-onset diabetes, mood or affective disorders, or healthy volunteers willing to provide stool or blood samples would be the most relevant participants.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to gut microbiome chemistry or those unable to give biological samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new markers or targets for treatments that modify bacterial metabolism to help conditions like diabetes or affective disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work has identified microbiome-modified bile acids and other metabolites that affect host biology in lab models, so this builds on promising but still early findings.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard Medical School — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Devlin, Abigail Sloan — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Devlin, Abigail Sloan
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.