How obesity may worsen flu illness and how weight loss could help
Official title: Multi-omics approach to elucidate mechanisms of enhanced influenza pathogenesis during obesity
Funded at Kansas State University · NIH-11336282 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how obesity changes the way flu affects the body, aiming to find ways to prevent severe illness, with tests done in mouse models to better understand potential human implications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kansas State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhattan, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2020 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $227,064 |
| NIH project number | 2P20GM130448-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11336282 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with obesity who may participate in future translational studies or clinical trials related to obesity, flu risk, and immune responses.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without obesity or those not at risk for severe influenza may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project uses a mouse model of high-fat diet–induced obesity to explore why influenza can be more severe in obesity, looking at lung microbes, gene activity, and metabolism during infection. The team will examine how obesity and sex influence disease severity after a sublethal flu infection, using 16S rRNA sequencing, bulk RNA sequencing, and metabolite analyses to map changes in the lungs. They will test whether dietary and exercise-based weight management can reverse adverse effects by comparing obese and non-obese mice of both sexes. The goal is to uncover mechanisms that could guide future interventions for people with obesity who get influenza. Results may point to targets for preventing severe flu through lifestyle changes or therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform strategies to reduce severe flu outcomes in people with obesity and guide future human studies or interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work with obesity and flu in animal models has shown obesity can worsen outcomes, supporting exploration of underlying mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Kansas State University
Manhattan, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dhakal, Santosh — Kansas State University
- Study coordinator: Dhakal, Santosh
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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.