How gut bacteria may make the intestine leaky and cause inflammation
Elucidating the role of the microbiome in inducing gut permeability and inflammation
This work looks at specific molecules made by gut bacteria, especially certain bile acids and folates, and how they might cause a leaky gut and inflammation in people with metabolic or liver problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11235116 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will measure bile acid and folate-related molecules in stool and blood from people with inflammatory or fatty liver conditions and compare them to healthy volunteers. Follow-up experiments in mice will test which bacterial metabolites cause the gut lining to become more permeable and trigger inflammation. The team will study how gut bacteria remove bile acid conjugates and whether blocking that bacterial step can prevent gut leakiness and improve liver inflammation. They will also examine whether bacterially modified folates activate human folate receptors that contribute to inflammatory signaling.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or NASH, or those with symptoms or tests suggesting increased intestinal permeability who are willing to provide stool and blood samples.
Not a fit: People without gut inflammation or metabolic/liver disease, or those unwilling to give biological samples, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new treatments or prevention strategies for leaky gut and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by targeting specific bacterial enzymes or metabolites.
How similar studies have performed: Previous observational and animal studies have linked microbial bile acids and folates to gut inflammation, but approaches that specifically block bacterial bile acid deconjugation remain largely untested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chaudhari, Snehal N. — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Chaudhari, Snehal N.
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.