Identifying gut and blood bacteria to predict infections in kidney transplant patients
Official title: Microbial Biomarkers for Diagnosing and Predicting Infections in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11094873 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for better ways to spot and predict infections in people who have had a kidney transplant by checking for certain markers in their stool, blood, and urine, which could help keep them healthier and reduce complications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 24, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $792,245 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI184528-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11094873 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have received a kidney transplant and are undergoing immunosuppressive therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not undergone kidney transplantation or those who are not on immunosuppressive therapy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop new methods for diagnosing and predicting infections in kidney transplant recipients by analyzing microbial biomarkers found in stool, blood, and urine. The study will focus on creating assays that measure short-chain fatty acids in feces and cell-free DNA in blood and urine, which may indicate the risk of infections. By understanding the relationship between these microbial markers and infection rates, the research seeks to improve patient outcomes and reduce complications associated with immunosuppression. The approach is based on previous findings that link specific bacteria to lower infection rates.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to earlier detection and prevention of infections in kidney transplant patients, significantly improving their health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous pilot studies have shown promising results in using microbial biomarkers for predicting infections, indicating that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, John Richard — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Lee, John Richard
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Microbial clues to diagnose and predict infections in kidney transplant patients
A patient-focused project will look for microbial biomarkers in stool, blood, and urine to help doctors predict and diagnose infections in people who have had a kidney transplant.
-
Immunological mechanisms behind treatment-resistant kidney transplant rejection
This grant explores why certain kidney transplant rejections don’t respond to standard treatments and what immune cells in the graft are driving that resistance.
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Complement-Bound Exosomes and Kidney Transplant Immunity
This project studies how kidney transplant injury and rejection happen after surgery and whether blocking certain immune pathways during organ preservation could improve transplant outcomes.
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Blood vessel signals predicting heart problems after kidney transplant
This project studies blood markers and tissue patterns after kidney transplants to identify which patients are at highest risk of cardiovascular problems.
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Understanding how BK virus links infection to kidney transplant rejection
This project looks at how BK polyomavirus reactivation affects kidney transplant patients and aims to use pre-transplant T cell information to tailor immunosuppression and monitoring.
-
Characterization of a LILRB3 SNP cluster and its link to kidney transplant outcomes
A study in kidney transplant recipients looks at genetic factors that may be tied to higher risk of graft failure.
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.