SIGIRR and newborn gut barrier health
Official title: SIGIRR in the Neonatal Intestine
Funded at Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo) · NIH-11252612 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project focuses on how changes in the SIGIRR gene weaken gut defenses in preterm babies who are at risk for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $630,915 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK139636-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11252612 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be preterm infants at risk for or diagnosed with NEC, especially those whose genetic testing or tissue samples suggest SIGIRR variants.
✕Less likely to help
Full-term healthy infants, adults, or patients with unrelated gastrointestinal conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific SIGIRR-focused work.
What this research studies
As a parent of a preterm infant, this work looks at how a gene called SIGIRR helps protect the newborn intestine from harmful bacteria. The team compares human SIGIRR variants linked to NEC with engineered mice carrying the same mutation and with intestinal cells in the lab to see what goes wrong. They measure key barrier proteins (like E-cadherin and ZO-1), immune signaling through Toll-like receptors, and how easily bacteria cross the gut lining. The goal is to find molecular steps that could be targeted to prevent or reduce NEC in preterm babies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could identify ways to strengthen the intestinal barrier and reduce the risk or severity of NEC in preterm infants.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory and animal studies have shown SIGIRR limits intestinal inflammation and that SIGIRR variants can worsen NEC-like injury, but treatments based on this knowledge have not yet been established in people.
Where this research is happening
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Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo)
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sampath, Venkatesh — Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo)
- Study coordinator: Sampath, Venkatesh
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.