# Microbial Influence on Mucosal Homeostasis

> **NIH NIH R01** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $390,000

## Abstract

SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The gastrointestinal mucosa functions as an interface between the luminal contents and the underlying tissue
compartments, and is thus vital in maintaining mucosal and systemic homeostasis. The gut lumen houses a
numerically vast and taxonomically diverse prokaryotic microbiota. In health, the mucosa and microbiota thrive
in a mutually beneficial symbiotic arrangement. Both host and microbe have evolved a complex system of
mutual perception, response and reaction. These events are mediated in part by the ability of the intestinal
epithelia to respond to specific members of the microbiota by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS),
that serve to activate multiple cellular pathways involved in the maintenance of gut homeostasis. This proposal
will employ in vivo systems including extensive use of germ-free mice, or mice gnotobiotically colonized with
known ROS inducing bacteria. Additionally, taxonomic analysis of microbiota in neonatal mice will be used to
identify other bacteria with functional effects on the gut mucosa. The proposal will study microbial influences on
known and novel signaling pathway, and characterize the regulatory effects on gut survival, differentiation and
proliferation. Our overall objectives are to define the participants, events, and processes involved in
host microbial contact and how this interaction influences intestinal homeostasis, development and
restitution. ROS and redox-stimulated pathways likely represent a conserved mechanism by which the host
interacts with its commensal microbiota, and thus presents an attractive target for therapeutic manipulation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10051385
- **Project number:** 5R01AI064462-14
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrew S Neish
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $390,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-07-01 → 2022-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10051385

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10051385, Microbial Influence on Mucosal Homeostasis (5R01AI064462-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10051385. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*