Testing how drugs affect gastrointestinal stem cells to reduce side effects
Official title: Planar culture of gastrointestinal stem cells for screening pharmaceuticals for adverse event risk
Funded at Altis Biosystems, INC. · NIH-10876481 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new way to see how different medications affect the important stem cells in our gut that help heal it, using a special lab method that mimics human cells, so we can find any potential problems before these drugs are given to people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Altis Biosystems, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $913,659 |
| NIH project number | 5R44TR004230-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10876481 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who are at risk of experiencing gastrointestinal side effects from medications, particularly those with conditions requiring pharmaceutical treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not take medications or have no history of gastrointestinal issues may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a new method to screen pharmaceuticals for their impact on gastrointestinal (GI) stem cells, which are crucial for repairing the GI tract. The approach utilizes a proprietary culture platform called RepliGut® Planar, which allows for high-throughput testing of drugs on primary human GI cells. By assessing how these drugs affect stem cell functions such as proliferation and differentiation, the research aims to identify potential adverse effects before drugs reach patients. This innovative method seeks to replace less effective animal models and traditional in vitro systems that do not accurately represent human biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer pharmaceuticals with fewer gastrointestinal side effects for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using 3D organoid cultures for drug screening, but this specific approach using the RepliGut® StemScreen platform is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Altis Biosystems, INC.
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sims, Christopher Eldridge — Altis Biosystems, INC.
- Study coordinator: Sims, Christopher Eldridge
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Mucus and Air-Liquid Interface Models of the Human Gut
Aims to create realistic human gut mucus and tissue models to study how the gut lining stays healthy and how mucus acts as a barrier.
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Creating a new platform to test how drugs affect the gut
This study is creating a special lab tool that acts like the human gut to see how different medicines and health products affect gut health, helping researchers find safer and more effective treatments without relying on animal testing.
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.