Improving colon cancer treatment by understanding gut bacteria and immunity
Treating colon cancer by regulating intestinal immunity through microbial metabolism
This work explores how gut bacteria and the body's immune system interact to influence colon cancer, aiming to find new ways to help patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11092906 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Colon cancer is affected by both the immune system in your gut and the bacteria living there, which can either help or harm the disease. Immune cells can contribute to cancer growth and also affect how well treatments like chemotherapy work. This project aims to understand how specific gut bacteria produce substances that influence key immune cells, called RORgt+ regulatory T cells, which are important for controlling inflammation. By understanding these connections, we hope to develop new, targeted treatments for colon cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but focuses on understanding colon cancer, which could eventually benefit individuals with this condition.
Not a fit: Patients not diagnosed with colon cancer or related gastrointestinal conditions may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new, more precise treatments for colon cancer by targeting the gut microbiome and immune system.
How similar studies have performed: While the broad concept of the microbiome influencing immunity is established, this specific pathway and its therapeutic exploitation in colon cancer represent a novel area of investigation.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Arpaia, Nicholas — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Arpaia, Nicholas
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.