How H. pylori infection may cause stomach inflammation and early cancer changes
Official title: Investigating gastric inflammation and preneoplastic progression driven by Helicobacter pylori infection
Funded at Purdue University · NIH-11257317 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how H. pylori infection together with an activated cancer-related gene (KRAS) changes stomach cells toward precancerous and cancerous states, mainly using mouse models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project start | July 7, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00CA263036-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11257317 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic H. pylori infection, gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, or a family/history risk of gastric cancer would be most relevant to the questions this research addresses.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without H. pylori infection, those with unrelated gastrointestinal conditions, or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to get direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers are using a mouse model that mimics early stomach changes seen before cancer to understand how H. pylori infection makes those changes worse. They compare mice with and without H. pylori when a KRAS gene is turned on in stomach cells, and track inflammation, cell-type shifts, and markers linked to metaplasia and dysplasia. The team measures immune activity, such as T cell increases, and expression of genes like Muc4 to pinpoint molecular steps between chronic infection and cancer. Results could guide ways to detect or block the process earlier in people with chronic H. pylori infection.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal how infection-driven inflammation leads to stomach precancer changes and point to targets for prevention, earlier detection, or new therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has firmly linked H. pylori to chronic stomach inflammation and higher gastric cancer risk and has reproduced precancerous changes in mouse models, but combining H. pylori infection with activated KRAS to define the exact mechanisms is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Purdue University
West Lafayette, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'brien, Valerie Phoebe — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: O'brien, Valerie Phoebe
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how Helicobacter pylori causes disease and how to block it
Scientists are studying how the stomach-dwelling bacteria H. pylori causes illness and how to stop it from using its outer proteins to grab nutrients.
-
Genetic factors shaping Helicobacter pylori infection
A scientist is studying how the genetics of the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori interact with human hosts to influence infection and disease risk.
-
Family-based testing to prevent gastric cancer from Helicobacter pylori
A doctor-facing plan to test and treat multiple family members of someone with H. pylori to prevent stomach cancer in adults.
-
New cancer-causing mechanisms in H. pylori infection
A scientist is studying how Helicobacter pylori may cause stomach cancer and how this knowledge could lead to better treatments for patients.
-
How H. pylori causes stomach infection and disease
This project looks at bacterial proteins that help H. pylori survive in the stomach to help people with H. pylori infections and related ulcers or cancer risk.
-
Investigating how polyamines affect stomach cancer risk during H. pylori infection
This study is looking at how certain natural compounds in the stomach might affect inflammation and the risk of stomach cancer in people infected with Helicobacter pylori, and it aims to find new ways to help prevent cancer for those individuals.
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.