Impact of gut bile acids on C. difficile infection in inflammatory bowel disease
Official title: The impact of inflammation induced alterations to microbially derived bile acids on susceptibility and severity of Clostridioides difficile infection
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11398269 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests whether changes in gut microbes and their bile acids influence how likely people with inflammatory bowel disease are to get and how severe a C. difficile infection could be.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $187,272 |
| NIH project number | 5K08AI153550-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398269 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with inflammatory bowel disease or related gut inflammation phenotypes, who may be at higher risk for CDI and could participate in future translational steps.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without inflammatory bowel disease or CDI risk factors may not directly benefit from this basic-to-preclinical work.
What this research studies
If you have inflammatory bowel disease and are at risk for C. difficile, this research will look at how inflammation changes gut bacteria and bile acids and whether these changes make infection more likely or more severe. The study uses mouse models to see if giving a bile acid called UDCA can reduce infection risk or severity, and whether altering microbiota-derived bile acids can change outcomes. Findings could guide future prevention strategies for CDI in people with IBD and point toward microbiome- or bile acid–based therapies. The work builds on preliminary data and aims to connect gut biology with infection risk in inflammatory disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new strategies to prevent or lessen C. difficile infection in people with inflammatory bowel disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows gut bile acids and microbiota influence C. difficile susceptibility, supporting relevance of this approach, though direct translational success remains to be proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Winston, Jenessa Andrzejewski — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Winston, Jenessa Andrzejewski
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how the immune system fights C. difficile to prevent recurrence
A new NIH grant is studying how the body’s own immune response to C. difficile infection might be boosted to prevent future outbreaks.
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Role of gut bacteria in shaping C. difficile infection
Aims to map how the gut microbiome and its metabolic environment influence Clostridioides difficile infection in people and how we might prevent or treat it.
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Detailed genetic look at C. difficile and the gut microbiome in infection and relapse
Researchers will sequence C. difficile and gut bacteria from thousands of patient stool samples to find genetic and microbial patterns linked to severe or recurring infections.
-
Multivalent vaccine to prevent C. difficile infection and recurrence
This project is developing a vaccine that teaches the immune system to neutralize C. difficile toxins and block the bacteria from coming back for people at risk of infection.
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Gut-targeted antibiotics for C. difficile infection
Developing gut-targeted antibiotics to kill C. difficile while keeping healthy gut bacteria for people with recurrent C. difficile infections.
-
Technology-Driven Root-Cause Analysis and Clinical Enhancement for C. difficile Infections
A new digital platform uses hospital data to streamline how hospitals analyze and prevent hospital-acquired C. diff infections.
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.