Understanding how gut barriers affect inflammation and immune responses
Official title: Intestinal epithelial paracellular permeability and immune tolerance
Funded at Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr · NIH-11056927 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain proteins in the gut help keep it healthy and how problems with these proteins might lead to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), with the hope of finding new ways to prevent and treat IBD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hershey, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $202,245 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI183052-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11056927 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders or those without any bowel-related issues may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of intestinal epithelial tight junctions in maintaining gut health and how their dysfunction contributes to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). By studying the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which is linked to IBD susceptibility, the research aims to uncover mechanisms that regulate gut permeability and immune responses. The approach includes using animal models to observe the effects of AHR activation and deficiency on colitis severity. The ultimate goal is to develop new prevention and treatment strategies for IBD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to innovative therapies that improve gut health and reduce the severity of inflammatory bowel diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the role of AHR in gut health, indicating that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr
Hershey, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nighot, Prashant — Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Nighot, Prashant
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy and trazodone for insomnia phenotypes with high blood pressure
A clinical study tests how CBT-I and the sleep drug trazodone work for adults with insomnia and high blood pressure, focusing on a specific sleep duration pattern.
-
Understanding the STIM/Orai Calcium Signaling Pathway in Cancer
Researchers are studying how STIM and Orai proteins control calcium signals inside cells and how this affects cancer-related growth and remodeling, with hopes to find ways to influence these signals for better treatments.
-
Understanding how some Amish communities maintain high birth rates in modern times
A project will build a large, time-sensitive dataset to understand why Amish families keep having many children, even as broader society has much lower birth rates.
-
Scoliosis and neurosurgical factors in myelomeningocele: a clinic registry study
This project uses registry data from Penn State’s Spina Bifida Clinic to understand how brain and spine-related issues influence when and why scoliosis surgery is needed in people with myelomeningocele.
-
Understanding how damaged stomach cells revert to a repair state to prevent cancer
Researchers are studying how certain stomach cells re-enter the cell cycle to aid tissue repair, and how this process might lead to metaplasia or cancer if it goes wrong.
-
Aging, cell aging, and how MCPyV causes Merkel cell carcinoma
Aging and aging-related changes in skin cells may help a common virus (MCPyV) persist and potentially lead to a rare skin cancer in people with weaker immune systems.
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.