How weight-loss (bariatric) surgery changes gut bacteria and colon cancer risk
Official title: Gut microbiota-related mechanisms that impact colorectal cancer risk after bariatric surgery
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11182510 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how gut bacteria, bile acids, and other body changes after bariatric surgery might affect future colorectal (colon) cancer risk in adults who had the operation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $724,893 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA275864-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11182510 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have had or plan to have bariatric surgery and who can provide blood and stool samples and attend follow-up visits are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who have not had bariatric surgery or who cannot provide samples or participate in follow-up visits are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You would be followed before and after bariatric surgery with regular blood and stool samples and questions about diet, medications, and health. Researchers will analyze shifts in gut bacteria species, bile acids, metabolism, and immune markers over time. They will connect those biological changes to known colorectal cancer risk factors to see which shifts may raise or lower risk. The work builds on an existing group of bariatric patients and combines lab tests with detailed patient data collected over months to years.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify post-surgery changes that increase or decrease colon cancer risk and inform targeted follow-up or prevention strategies for bariatric patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked gut microbiota and bile acids to colorectal cancer, but longitudinal work specifically tracking changes after bariatric surgery is limited and this approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yu, Danxia — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Yu, Danxia
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Gut bacteria changes after bariatric surgery and colorectal cancer risk
This study will follow adults who had bariatric surgery to understand how changes in the gut microbiome and bile acids might influence colorectal cancer risk.
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How gut bacteria changes after weight loss surgery may affect colorectal cancer risk
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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.