Natural products to block IL-8 signaling and prevent Barrett's Esophagus from turning into esophageal cancer
Official title: Developing Natural Products to Target IL-8 Signaling and Intercept Progression of Barrett's Esophagus to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11580206 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A搜索-friendly plan to use safe natural compounds to interrupt a key inflammatory signal (IL-8) and stop Barrett’s esophagus from turning into esophageal cancer in people with GERD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $336,012 |
| NIH project number | 7UG3CA299397-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11580206 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with Barrett’s esophagus or high risk BE who could participate in future translational studies.
✕Less likely to help
People without Barrett’s esophagus or those unable to tolerate or access the proposed natural products may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on people with Barrett’s esophagus, a condition linked to chronic reflux that can lead to esophageal cancer. Researchers will identify non-toxic natural products that can block IL-8 signaling, a driver of progression from BE to cancer. The work combines lab studies and animal/early human data to understand how these products affect inflammation, immune cell movement, and genetic changes in the esophagus. If successful, this could provide a new preventative approach to intercept cancer development in BE patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the natural products are effective, patients with Barrett’s esophagus could have a safer option to reduce cancer risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research supports IL-8 as a driver of BE progression, but translating natural products to interception therapy is ongoing and promising.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kresty, Laura a — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Kresty, Laura a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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-
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-
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A research project at MD Anderson is looking at why esophageal cancer patients often don’t fully respond to chemoradiation and how tumor biology and the surrounding environment affect treatment.
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A Mayo Clinic team is testing an AI-assisted tool that uses health data to identify people at risk for Barrett’s esophagus and early esophageal cancer so they can get timely endoscopic evaluation.
-
SOX4-driven transcription in esophageal cancer
Researchers are studying how a specific gene network drives esophageal cancer that can arise from Barrett's esophagus, aiming to uncover new targets for therapy.
-
Understanding how a DNA repair protein helps esophageal cancer resist treatment
A new NIH grant is exploring how a DNA repair protein called APE1 helps esophageal cancer cells survive and resist chemotherapy in Barrett’s esophagus toward preventing or treating esophageal cancer.
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.