How the gut controls bile acids and cholesterol
Official title: Regulation of Intestinal Bile Acid Absorption in Health and Cholesterol-Related Disorders
Funded at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center · NIH-11212808 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are learning how a gut protein that recycles bile acids influences blood cholesterol in people at risk for heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jesse Brown VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2009 |
| Project end | September 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX000152-15 |
| Project ID | NIH-11212808 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with high cholesterol or a high risk of cardiovascular disease, especially those whose cholesterol remains elevated despite current treatments.
✕Less likely to help
People without cholesterol problems or those with unrelated health conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
This project focuses on a gut transporter called ASBT that helps recycle bile acids and affects fat and cholesterol balance. Scientists are examining how different dietary fats change ASBT's behavior and whether fatty acids attach to the ASBT protein to alter its location and function. They use molecular lab methods (like metabolic labeling and biochemical capture techniques) and model systems to track these changes. The goal is to find ways to lower blood cholesterol when standard drugs do not achieve very low targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to lower blood cholesterol by targeting bile acid uptake in the gut.
How similar studies have gone: Other therapies that alter bile acids have shown cholesterol-lowering effects, but studying ASBT regulation by dietary fats and protein acylation is a newer and less tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alrefai, Waddah a. — Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Alrefai, Waddah a.
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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.