Prebiotic diet to boost gut health and improve immunotherapy response in melanoma
Official title: Prebiotic diet intervention to enhance the microbiome and immunotherapy response in melanoma
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-11395346 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A diet-based approach using prebiotic foods and nutrition counseling is studied alongside standard immunotherapy to help melanoma patients respond better and reduce side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,033,481 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA291965-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395346 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with metastatic melanoma eligible for standard-of-care immune checkpoint inhibitors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not able to adhere to the diet or who do not show diet-related microbiome changes may see no benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests a prebiotic-rich diet added to the usual immunotherapy given to people with metastatic melanoma. Participants will receive prebiotic foods and nutritional guidance to shape their gut microbiome, aiming to support a stronger immune response to cancer treatment. The study will monitor gut microbiome changes, diet adherence, immune markers, and treatment outcomes to see if the diet helps patients benefit from immunotherapy. The goal is a practical dietary strategy that patients can follow during therapy to potentially improve effectiveness and safety.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience better responses to immunotherapy and fewer treatment-related issues through a feasible dietary approach.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links gut microbiome and diet to immunotherapy response; this study tests a structured, prebiotic diet in a clinical context.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Daniel-Macdougall, Carrie — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Daniel-Macdougall, Carrie
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Overcoming Melanoma Treatment Resistance with a Special IL-18 Approach
A Yale-led project tests a special engineered IL-18 immune signal to help melanoma patients who don’t fully respond to current therapies.
-
New approach to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in melanoma
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-
Multivalent circular mRNA vaccines for melanoma immunotherapy
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-
Lymph Node–Targeted Co-delivery for Melanoma Immunotherapy
Aimed at improving melanoma treatment, this project tests a targeted vaccine approach that helps the body’s immune system better attack skin cancer.
-
Multifunctional nanoparticles to boost melanoma immunotherapy
A new nanoparticle approach using ultrasound-triggered systems aims to make melanoma immunotherapy work better for patients who don’t respond well to current treatments.
-
Enhancing melanoma immune therapy through DNA methylation-boosted T cells
A doctor-led program at Yale will help patients with melanoma by using specially trained CD4 helper T cells that are epigenetically enhanced to fight 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.