Understanding how gut cells recognize disease-causing microbes
Official title: Sensing bacterial patterns of pathogenesis by an enzymatic TIR protein
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11444737 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project will study how intestinal cells in humans identify microbes that are actively causing disease, with potential to inform better treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $605,882 |
| NIH project number | 2R01AI159159-06A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11444737 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g., Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) or those at risk of intestinal infection-related inflammation.
✕Less likely to help
This research is at the basic science level; immediate benefits to individual patients may be limited, but long-term insights could inform therapies.
What this research studies
This project explores how intestinal epithelial cells distinguish harmful microbes from harmless ones, focusing on the signals they use to mount an immune response. Using models like C. elegans and molecular studies, researchers will examine a TIR-domain protein (SARM1) and its role in sensing bacterial patterns. The aim is to uncover how immune defenses are triggered specifically during infection, which could lead to new ways to prevent excessive inflammation in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new targets to modulate intestinal immunity and reduce chronic inflammation.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that specialized immune proteins can regulate gut inflammation, but this project seeks to reveal a novel sensing mechanism, making the approach both grounded and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pukkila-Worley, Read — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Pukkila-Worley, Read
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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.