How gut bacteria that scavenge zinc may affect inflammatory bowel disease
Official title: Gut bacterial metallophores in the development and severity of inflammatory bowel disease
Funded at University of Nebraska Medical Center · NIH-11296935 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether bacteria in the gut that grab zinc make Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $622,491 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK131990-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11296935 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, especially those with low zinc levels or a relevant ZIP8 genetic change, would be most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose IBD is unrelated to zinc status or microbial imbalance may not see direct benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
This project focuses on how zinc deficiency and gut bacteria that secrete small metal‑binding molecules (metallophores) might drive inflammation in IBD. Researchers will measure metallophore production by gut bacteria, use animal models to see how zinc loss changes intestinal health, and analyze human-relevant genetic and sample data such as the ZIP8 variant linked to Crohn’s disease. The team will examine whether bacteria that efficiently scavenge zinc overgrow and worsen gut inflammation. They aim to identify approaches—like restoring zinc or blocking bacterial metallophores—that could reduce IBD severity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to prevent or limit IBD flares by correcting zinc deficits or targeting bacterial zinc-scavenging.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies already show zinc affects gut health, but directly targeting bacterial metallophores in IBD is a relatively new and not yet clinically tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Samuelson, Derrick R — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Samuelson, Derrick R
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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.