Understanding how stress affects gut health and IBD risk
Official title: Role of epithelial ROS signaling in mediating psychological stress-induced mucosal dysfunction and colitis predisposition
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11092247 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how psychological stress changes the gut lining and bacteria, which might make some people more likely to develop inflammatory bowel diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | July 31, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $644,907 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK131133-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11092247 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is for anyone interested in the causes of inflammatory bowel diseases, especially how stress impacts gut health.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate new treatments or direct clinical intervention will not find direct benefit from this basic science project.
What this research studies
We know that stress can make inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) worse or even trigger them in people who are already at risk. This project aims to uncover the specific ways stress impacts the gut, focusing on changes in the gut lining cells and the helpful bacteria that live there. We believe that certain molecules produced by gut cells when stressed might be key to these changes, leading to a weakened gut barrier and an imbalance in gut microbes. By understanding these connections, we hope to find new ways to protect the gut from stress-related problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies for preventing or managing inflammatory bowel diseases by targeting the gut's response to stress.
How similar studies have gone: While the link between stress and gut health is recognized, this specific focus on reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling in epithelial cells as a mediator of stress-induced mucosal dysfunction and colitis predisposition is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Allen, Jacob Matthew — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Allen, Jacob Matthew
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Role of epithelial ROS signaling in stress-related gut dysfunction and colitis risk
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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.