NIH grants $1.8 million for gut microbiome research in obesity, metabolic syndrome

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases of the NIH has awarded a 4-year $1.8 million grant to a Georgia State researcher studying the role of the gut microbiome in the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome, according to a press release from the university.

“The overall goal of the project is to understand how alterations in bacteria in the intestine can promote low-grade inflammation and metabolic diseases, including obesity,” grant recipient Andrew Gewirtz, PhD, a professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, said in the press release. “Additionally, we’re going to be looking at how changes in diet can protect against obesity, especially how dietary fiber can alter gut bacteria in a beneficial way.”

Andrew Gewirtz

The project has three main goals. First, Gewirtz will determine the strength of the associations between low-grade inflammation-driving alterations in gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis). This study will be done in humans, in collaboration with Shanti Srinivasan, MD, of Emory University, to confirm previous findings from mice studies.

Second, he will seek to understand how gut microbiota alterations promote inflammation in mice, and how the liver can be protected against low-grade inflammation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Finally, he will explore how dietary fiber can impact the gut microbiome and protect against obesity, also in mice. This study will compare insoluble and soluble or fermentable fiber.

“Our preliminary results indicate that these have very different types of effects. Hopefully in the end we’ll have a better understanding of what type should be consumed, for fibers that are naturally in foods or as supplements,” Gewirtz said.