How Vitamin A and Gut Bacteria Work Together for Gut Health
Vitamin A metabolism at the host-microbiome interface
This research explores how vitamin A and the bacteria in your gut interact to keep your digestive system healthy and strong.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180473 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our gut barrier relies on a form of Vitamin A called retinoic acid (RA) to maintain a balanced immune system and ensure the gut lining can repair itself. We've discovered that the bacteria living in your gut play a key role in how your body processes dietary vitamin A. This project aims to understand how these gut bacteria influence vitamin A levels and how this interaction affects gut immunity and the ability of the gut lining to regenerate after damage. By understanding these processes, we hope to uncover new ways to support gut health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is relevant for individuals interested in the underlying causes of gut inflammation and conditions affecting the intestinal lining.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment options or direct clinical intervention would not directly benefit from this basic science research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies for improving gut health and treating conditions like inflammatory bowel disease by targeting vitamin A processing or gut bacteria.
How similar studies have performed: Our previous work first revealed the crucial role of gut bacteria in vitamin A processing, making this a novel area of exploration building on recent discoveries.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vaishnava, Shipra — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Vaishnava, Shipra
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 below.