This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Biocodex funds microbiome research on link between diet, colon cancer, IBD

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on .

Subscribe

Added to email alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

Back to Healio

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Back to Healio

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation — the foundational arm of the pharmaceutical company Biocodex — announced it has awarded grants to two researchers studying the link between the human health and the microbiome.

The Foundation’s independent scientific board chose Rashim Singh, MD, of the University of Houston’s pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences department for the American grant award, and Alberto Caminero Fernandez, MD, of the Ontario Farncombe Family Health Research Institute, McMaster University, for the Canadian grant award. The awards are part of a multi-year research initiative to better understand the interaction between microbiota and different pathologies. This year’s topic was “dietary interactions with microbiota,” according to a press release.

“The topic of research and the grant recipients were independently selected by our American and Canadian Biocodex Microbiota Foundation scientific board comprised of leading researchers in both the U.S.A. and Canada,” Lena Yoo, PharmD, regulatory and scientific affairs manager at Biocodex told Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease. “The criteria chosen was novel and innovative research with sound methodology and background research.”

Singh’s research will examine bidirectional flavonoid microbiota interaction and its role in the prevention of colorectal cancer caused by dietary carcinogens.

Caminero Fernandez is studying tryptophan and its role in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The long-term goal of the project is to develop combinations of bacteria that act on tryptophan dietary sources and produce Aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists to prevent and treat inflammatory bowel disease, according to the press release.

Yoo said the Foundation’s scientific board is working to finalize the topic for its 2018 call for proposals and expects an announcement in April. In addition to its American and Canadian grant awards, the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation will also award a grant to support an international project to study the microbiome.

“We at the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation aim to bring more knowledge about our gut health to the public,” Yoo said. – by Alex Young

Disclosures: Yoo is employed by Biocodex.