Understanding Gut Immune Cells and How They Use Iron
Regulation of Gut Innate Lymphoid Cells by Ahr
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · NIH-11124724
This project looks at how important immune cells in your gut, called ILC3s, use iron to stay healthy and fight off infections.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (GAINESVILLE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11124724 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Our gut contains special immune cells, called ILC3s, that are crucial for keeping your digestive system balanced and interacting with the helpful bacteria living there. These cells also help your body fight off infections and inflammation. We believe that how these ILC3 cells handle iron is very important for them to work correctly. This project aims to discover how a specific pathway, involving Ahr and CD71, controls iron use in these gut immune cells. We will also explore how this iron regulation impacts the cells' ability to protect against infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research does not directly involve patients, but future studies building on this knowledge could benefit individuals with gut immune imbalances or chronic infections.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments or direct clinical intervention would not find this basic science project beneficial for participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to support gut health and strengthen the immune system against infections by understanding how nutrition and environment affect our immune cells.
How similar studies have performed: While the specific Ahr-CD71 axis in ILC3s is a novel focus, the broader fields of immune metabolism and nutrition immunology have shown promising results in understanding disease.
Where this research is happening
GAINESVILLE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA — GAINESVILLE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ZHOU, LIANG — UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- Study coordinator: ZHOU, LIANG
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 below.