Using the STING immune pathway to boost intestinal healing after radiation
STING-dependent Intestinal Regeneration upon Radiation Injury
This project looks at whether activating the STING immune pathway and giving a short course of IFNβ can help adults' intestines recover after radiation damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11162441 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers study how the intestine's stem cells and local immune signals (particularly the STING→Type I interferon pathway) respond after high-dose abdominal or total-body radiation using lab models and tissue analyses. They use mouse radiation models that mimic clinical intestinal injury and experimental approaches including timed IFNβ treatment and molecular profiling such as ATAC-seq to track changes in stem cells and supporting niche cells. The team has found that a single IFNβ dose given about 48 hours after radiation improved survival and intestinal repair in preclinical experiments, and they are dissecting the underlying cellular mechanisms to guide translation. The goal is to identify treatment timing and targets that could be tested in humans to reduce acute and chronic radiation-related bowel problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who receive high-dose abdominal or total-body radiation—such as cancer patients undergoing pelvic/abdominal radiotherapy or people exposed to accidental radiation—would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People with bowel conditions not caused by radiation, children under 21, or those with long-standing fibrotic intestinal damage rather than recent radiation injury are less likely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments—for example a timed IFNβ therapy—that reduce radiation-related bowel damage, improve survival, and lower long-term intestinal complications.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical mouse work, including this team's data, showed that a single IFNβ dose given about 48 hours after radiation improved survival and intestinal regeneration, but human testing has not yet been done.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- University of Southern California — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yu, Jian — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Yu, Jian
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 below.