Small intestine microbes and abdominal pain in IBS
Official title: MECHANISMS OF VISCERAL PAIN DRIVEN BY SMALL INTESTINAL MICROBIOTA
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11392565 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study from Mayo Clinic aims to understand how tiny microbes in the small intestine contribute to abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome and how signals from those microbes reach the nervous system.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,568,449 |
| NIH project number | 4R01DK138818-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392565 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
No direct patient enrollment in this basic science project; results may inform future studies involving IBS patients.
✕Less likely to help
The study itself does not enroll patients, so individual patient benefits are not direct.
What this research studies
Researchers will explore how the proximal small intestine senses microbial signals and which cellular and molecular pathways cause visceral hypersensitivity. They will use a human small-intestine microbiome model in germ-free mice, test metabolite effects on dorsal root ganglia and epithelial cells, and study signal transmission to the spinal cord with an ex vivo setup. The project builds on prior work to connect gut microbes with pain pathways, focusing on mechanisms that could lead to new therapies for IBS-related pain. Participants would not be recruited in this basic science study, but the findings could inform future patient-directed research and treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these mechanisms could lead to new targets for treating IBS-related abdominal pain.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work links gut microbes to abdominal pain, with ongoing research expanding knowledge about the small intestine's role.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kashyap, Purna C — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Kashyap, Purna C
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Diet, gut microbiome, and immune health in adults with type 2 diabetes
A study at Stanford is exploring how fermented foods and their molecules, like lactate, influence gut bacteria and the body's immune and inflammatory responses in adults with adult-onset diabetes.
-
Gut microbiome and Parkinson's disease: how gut bugs relate to symptoms and progression
A multi-year study will look at gut bacteria and related markers in people with Parkinson’s disease to understand how the gut-brain connection may influence symptoms and progression.
-
Gut-Brain Axis in Parkinson’s Disease: biomarkers and procedures to track progression
A patient-focused program to study how gut health and the brain interact in Parkinson’s disease using biomarkers and clinical procedures.
-
Oral bacteria and brain metastasis: how the mouth may influence brain tumors
A study exploring how oral microbes may affect brain metastases and patient outcomes, with potential to guide new microbiome-based approaches.
-
How gut bacteria metabolites affect your immune system and allergies
This project looks at how substances made by the gut microbiome influence the body’s immune responses to allergic diseases and intestinal infections.
-
Vitamin D, gut bacteria and dementia risk in older adults with HIV
This work will look at whether low vitamin D and changes in gut bacteria are linked to higher dementia risk in older adults living with chronic HIV and similar community members.
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.