Understanding how gut microbes’ chemical messengers affect breast cancer and immune response
Official title: Role of microbially-derived metabolites in anti-tumor immunity in breast cancer
Funded at University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr · NIH-11402053 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how microbially derived metabolites from the gut might influence breast cancer risk and how the immune system fights the disease, in the context of weight loss after bariatric surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $461,132 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA253329-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402053 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with breast cancer or those at risk may ultimately benefit from therapies targeting gut microbiome–metabolite pathways.
✕Less likely to help
Results may be less directly applicable to non-breast cancers or individuals without obesity-related metabolic changes.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how substances produced by gut bacteria change after bariatric surgery and how these changes could reduce breast cancer growth and boost anti-tumor immunity. They will test the effects of these metabolites on cancer in humanized mouse models and examine how bile acids and branched-chain amino acids influence immune cells that attack tumors. The work also includes examining whether modifying the gut microbiome can boost responses to immune checkpoint therapies in breast cancer. Overall, the study aims to connect gut chemistry, immune function, and cancer outcomes to identify new therapeutic angles.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to microbiome- or metabolite-based approaches to lower breast cancer risk and improve treatment responses.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown that gut metabolites and microbiome changes can influence tumor burden and immune responses in animal models, with some translational signals in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Makowski-Hayes, Liza — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: Makowski-Hayes, Liza
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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.