How gut microbes and their metabolites influence immune protection and obesity-related cancer risk
Official title: Determining the contribution of microbial-derived metabolites to protective immunity in obesity-driven cancer risk.
Funded at University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr · NIH-11411344 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research team will study how gut microbes and their metabolic products may affect immune protection and cancer risk in people with obesity, using human subjects and lab models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,052,689 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA272541-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11411344 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity and diverse backgrounds, including a substantial representation of African American individuals, who are at higher cancer risk.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without obesity or those not contributing to the study’s diverse sample may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
We aim to connect obesity, gut microbes, and immune protection to cancer risk by studying diverse human participants and supporting lab studies. The project will analyze microbial-derived metabolites and how they shape immune cell behavior in individuals at higher cancer risk, including obese patients before and after bariatric surgery. Donors will come from the Memphis area to capture a diverse African American population. The team will use human samples alongside pre-clinical models to explore the obesity–microbes–metabolites–protective immunity axis. This work could identify new avenues to reduce cancer risk in obesity through immune- and microbiome-targeted strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new ways to lower cancer risk for people with obesity by modulating gut microbes and their metabolites.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows obesity can alter immune function and the microbiome, with ongoing research exploring microbiome–immune interactions in cancer.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Makowski-Hayes, Liza — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: Makowski-Hayes, Liza
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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.