Mitochondria and intestinal stem cells in gastrointestinal graft‑versus‑host disease

Project 1: Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Metabolism of ISCS in GVHD

['FUNDING_P01'] · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · NIH-11191450

This project looks at whether fixing energy problems in gut lining cells can protect people who develop gut graft‑versus‑host disease after a bone marrow transplant.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_P01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI (nih funded)
Locations1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11191450 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

Researchers are studying how energy production problems in the cells that line the gut make gastrointestinal GVHD worse, focusing on a mitochondrial protein called SDHA and how gut microbes and their products like butyrate affect those cells. They are examining specific cell types important for gut repair, including intestinal stem cells (Lgr5+) and Paneth cells, to see which metabolic defects lead to cell loss and severe disease. Work uses tissue studies and laboratory models to trace how mitochondrial complex II dysfunction changes cell survival and response to microbial metabolites. The goal is to find non‑immunosuppressive ways to protect the gut lining and prevent or lessen GI GVHD after transplant.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People who have had or are about to have an allogeneic bone marrow/stem cell transplant and who are at risk for or are experiencing gastrointestinal GVHD are the most relevant candidates.

Not a fit: Patients without transplant‑related GVHD or with gut symptoms caused by unrelated conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new treatments that protect the gut lining without broadly suppressing the immune system, lowering illness and death from GI GVHD.

How similar studies have performed: Previous work supports that microbial short‑chain fatty acids like butyrate can protect gut cells, but targeting mitochondrial SDHA in specific intestinal stem cell subsets is a newer and less tested approach.

Where this research is happening

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.