Targeting a gut transporter to help relieve constipation in CF and older adults
Official title: Inhibition of an Apical cAMP/cGMP Transporter (MRP4) in the Gut Induces Diarrhea
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11337500 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aimed at helping people with cystic fibrosis and older adults who have chronic constipation by studying a gut transporter to improve intestinal fluid balance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | August 20, 2009 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $576,228 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK080834-19 |
| Project ID | NIH-11337500 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
CF patients with chronic constipation and older adults experiencing persistent constipation.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without CF or constipation may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project explores how blocking a specific gut transporter might restore fluid balance in the intestines of people with CF-related constipation and in the general aging population. Researchers will use stem-cell–derived intestinal cells from CF patients with constipation to study how CFTR and MRP4 interact and influence fluid secretion. The goal is to identify a way to target this transporter complex to ease constipation symptoms and improve gut function. The work builds on previous findings to understand signaling pathways and how secretory mechanisms might be restored in these groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to new treatments that ease chronic constipation for CF patients and older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous data suggest related transporter interactions affect gut secretion, but this exact approach is exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Naren, Anjaparavanda P — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Naren, Anjaparavanda P
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
PediCODE: A Biorepository and Consortium for CoDE - Congenital Diarrhea and Enteropathy
A nationwide effort to collect clinical data and patient-derived samples to uncover the genetic causes of congenital diarrhea and enteropathy and to build a resource that helps researchers study these diseases.
-
PediCODE Consortium and Biobank for Congenital Diarrhea and Enteropathy
Creating a multi-center team and biobank to find genetic causes of congenital diarrhea and enteropathy in children and collect samples that can help future research.
-
Mobile health tool to guide dehydration care for acute diarrhea across all ages
A mobile app uses AI to help people of all ages determine dehydration risk during acute diarrhea and guide rehydration decisions.
-
Understanding how certain gut bacteria cause diarrhea in children and how it works in the gut lining
This project looks at how infections from ETEC and EPEC bacteria cause diarrhea, especially in children, and uses a mouse model and human-derived gut cell systems to uncover the underlying mechanisms.
-
Targeting gut drug processing to prevent diarrhea from mycophenolate
This project tests whether using natural gut-acting compounds to boost a specific drug-clearing pathway in the lower intestine can reduce diarrhea caused by the transplant drug mycophenolate in people who take it.
-
How families and communities shape kids’ chest infections and diarrhea
This grant studies how a child’s home and neighborhood—like family education, housing, water, and access to care—affects rates of acute respiratory infections and diarrhea in young children.
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.