Understanding the Gut Microbiome in Sepsis-Related Kidney Injury
Official title: A translational approach to interrogate the gut microbiome in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11123095 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how the bacteria in your gut might influence why some people with severe infections develop kidney damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $42,658 |
| NIH project number | 5F31DK138603-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11123095 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research focuses on understanding the disease process in patients who have experienced sepsis and acute kidney injury, or those at risk.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not affected by sepsis or acute kidney injury would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Sepsis, a serious infection response, can lead to life-threatening organ damage, including acute kidney injury (AKI). We don't fully understand why some patients with sepsis get AKI while others do not. This project looks at the gut microbiome, the community of bacteria in your intestines, to see if it plays a role in this difference. By studying both animal models and existing patient data, we hope to uncover how specific gut bacteria might protect against or contribute to kidney damage during sepsis. Our goal is to find new ways to predict and prevent AKI in patients with severe infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to identify patients at risk for kidney injury during sepsis and potentially develop treatments that target the gut microbiome to prevent this serious complication.
How similar studies have gone: While the link between the gut microbiome and critical illness is gaining attention, its specific contribution to sepsis-associated acute kidney injury is largely unexplored, making this a novel area of focus.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Winner, Katherine — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Winner, Katherine
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Investigating the gut microbiome's role in kidney injury during sepsis
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-
Biomarkers to identify kidney injury sub-types in sepsis patients
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How gut bacteria affect muscle loss during sepsis
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Understanding Different Types of Kidney Injury in Sepsis to Improve Care
This work aims to find specific types of acute kidney injury in patients with sepsis to help doctors provide more personalized and effective treatments.
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Diagnosing and staging kidney injury related to sepsis
This study is looking to find new ways to quickly and accurately diagnose kidney damage in people with sepsis by testing blood samples from mice, which could lead to a simple blood test for doctors to use in treating patients.
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Understanding how gut bacteria affect muscle loss after sepsis
This study is looking at how the bacteria in your gut might affect muscle loss after a serious infection called sepsis, and it's for people who are recovering from this condition to help find ways to keep their muscles healthy.
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.