Understanding how gut bacteria and immune responses affect cancer spread
Official title: Dissecting the interplay between immunoglobulin G and the gut microbiome in cancer progression and metastasis
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-10758543 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain gut bacteria and immune system antibodies might affect cancer spread in older adults, and it hopes to find ways to improve cancer treatment by understanding these connections better, so patients may be asked to share samples or information to help with the research.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | January 2, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $188,198 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA270998-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10758543 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include older adults diagnosed with cancer who are undergoing or considering immunotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-cancerous conditions or those not receiving immunotherapy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the relationship between immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and the gut microbiome in the context of cancer progression and metastasis. It aims to uncover how interactions between gut bacteria and the immune system can influence the spread of cancer, particularly in older adults. By identifying specific gut microbes linked to metastatic risk and exploring how these interactions can be leveraged to improve immunotherapy outcomes, the study seeks to enhance our understanding of cancer biology. Patients may be involved in providing samples or data to help elucidate these complex relationships.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for preventing or treating cancer metastasis by targeting gut microbiome interactions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the role of the gut microbiome in cancer treatment, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zeng, Melody Y — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Zeng, Melody Y
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Gut microbes and the early spread of hormone-receptor–positive breast cancer
This project looks at whether changes in gut bacteria help hormone-receptor–positive (HR+) breast cancer spread early in people with HR+ tumors.
-
How gut bacteria affect breast cancer spread
This study is looking at how differences in gut bacteria might affect the spread of breast cancer in women with hormone receptor-positive tumors, to help understand why some patients have more aggressive disease than others, even with the same treatment.
-
Lymph node metastasis and immune tolerance in head and neck cancer
A study in people with head and neck cancer looks at how cancer spread to lymph nodes may shape the immune system and help tumors grow.
-
Targeting how RMS cells fail to mature to slow or stop pediatric muscle cancer spread
A project to understand why a pediatric muscle cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma spreads, and to test ideas that could slow or stop it by helping cancer cells mature properly.
-
Multi-agent AI to annotate enzymes in the human gut microbiome
A team at a major university will build an AI system that automatically curates and labels the functions of enzymes in the human gut microbiome to speed up understanding their health effects.
-
Mapping how gut bacteria transform drugs
Scientists will study how the gut microbiome changes thousands of drugs into new forms, which could affect how well a medicine works or whether it causes side effects.
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.