Nutrition approaches to boost vaccine protection
Harnessing nutrition to enhance vaccine responses
Researchers hope dietary changes or diet-like drugs can strengthen immune memory so vaccines protect you better against infections.
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 ID | NIH-11233265 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, the team is studying how eating less (caloric restriction) changes long-term immune protection by using detailed lab experiments. They will track blood and gut chemicals, including acetate made by gut bacteria, and see how these affect immune cells such as memory CD8+ T cells and myeloid cells. Most work uses mice and molecular tools (like sequencing and metabolomics) to map the cell signals and interactions responsible for stronger pathogen control. The goal is to use that knowledge to design drugs or dietary strategies that mimic the beneficial effects for people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People preparing for vaccination or those at higher risk of severe infectious diseases would be the likely candidates for future clinical tests of diet-based or acetate-mimicking treatments.
Not a fit: Individuals with severe immune suppression or active eating disorders may not benefit from or be suitable for diet-based approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to diet-based guidelines or new medicines that make vaccines more effective and reduce infections.
How similar studies have performed: Prior mouse studies by this group showed very large improvements in pathogen control with caloric restriction, but evidence in humans is still limited.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Collins, Nicholas — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Collins, 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.