Serotonin in the gut and brain: targeted drug delivery for gut-brain disorders and mood symptoms
Official title: Differentiating the roles and underlying mechanisms of serotonin in the gut epithelium and ENS to create a novel drug delivery system to treat disorders of gut-brain interaction and mood dysfunction
Funded at New York University · NIH-11370124 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team will learn how serotonin in the gut lining versus gut nerves affects digestive and mood symptoms to create targeted treatments for people with chronic gut-brain disorders and anxiety or depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $642,581 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK136292-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370124 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with disorders of gut-brain interaction (for example IBS) who also experience anxiety or depression and who have had limited benefit from existing therapies.
✕Less likely to help
People whose digestive problems are caused by clear structural or inflammatory diseases, or those with mood disorders but no gut symptoms, may be less likely to benefit from this line of work.
What this research studies
Researchers are separating the roles of serotonin in the gut epithelium and in the enteric nervous system to see which drives gut-brain symptoms. They will use lab models, including animal studies, cell and tissue experiments, and human tissue samples, to map how serotonin signaling affects digestion and mood. The group aims to design a drug delivery approach that directs therapy to the gut lining or gut nerves rather than the whole body. This strategy is intended to reduce side effects from current serotonin-targeting drugs and better relieve both GI symptoms and co-occurring anxiety or depression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that ease chronic gut symptoms and improve mood while causing fewer systemic side effects than current SSRIs.
How similar studies have gone: Drugs that alter serotonin, such as SSRIs, help some patients but often cause GI side effects, and separately targeting gut epithelium versus enteric nerves is a relatively new approach that has not yet been proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Margolis, Kara Gross — New York University
- Study coordinator: Margolis, Kara Gross
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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.