# Mediterranean Diet, Polyphenol-Rich Foods, Gut Microbiota and Type 2 Diabetes

> **NIH NIH R00** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $248,865

## Abstract

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) for type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention were observed in
epidemiologic studies and a randomized trial, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.
Preliminary evidence indicates that a MedDiet is associated with gut microbial features favoring lower T2D risk.
The gut microbiota, through producing biologically active molecular cues (e.g., metabolites and bacterial
structural components), act on biological systems such as the host immune response and gut hormones (e.g.,
glucagon-like peptide-1) that underlie the pathogenesis of T2D. In addition, the high-polyphenol content of the
MedDiet may interact with the gut microbiota to exert its health benefits because ingested polyphenols are
mostly metabolized in the colon. To date, no study has investigated the potential mediating role of the gut
microbiota in the association of the MedDiet with T2D. Most studies of the gut microbiota are cross-sectional
studies or small short-term trials. For more advanced mechanistic insights, combining metagenomics,
metatranscriptomics and metabolomics in an integrated framework presents a unique opportunity to probe the
function of gut microbiota. Dr. Dong Wang will be mentored by an interdisciplinary team that includes Dr. Meir
Stampfer, an expert in nutritional and chronic disease epidemiology, Dr. Curtis Huttenhower, a computational
biologist who is a PI of NIH Integrative Human Microbiome Project, Dr. Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist with
expertise in population-scale microbiome study, and Dr. Wendy Garrett, an immunologist with expertise on
biological function of gut microbiota. During the K99 phase, Dr. Wang will build on his expertise in nutritional
epidemiology and metabolomics, and will be trained in human microbiome research, bioinformatics, and data
mining the large multi-omics databases in a large cohort in Hispanic population. During the R00 phase, Dr.
Wang will perform shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing on repeatedly collected stool
samples, and prospectively recruit participants to collect questionnaire data, blood and urine samples in a
randomized controlled trial. The R00-phase research will test whether the gut microbiota modifies the long-
term effects of the MedDiet and polyphenol-rich foods on T2D risk, and will examine the role of diet-induced
gut microbial changes in regulating host immune homeostasis and gut hormone secretion. Findings from the
proposed project will lead to novel mechanistic evidence on the health benefits of the MedDiet, which will have
substantial public health impact by informing more effective and precision prevention of T2D. All of these will
be possible through the use of an innovative study design and the functional profiling of gut microbiota by
integrated ‘omics and cutting-edge bioinformatic tools. The outstanding training opportunities with key leaders
in research areas including gut microbiome, bioinformatics, translational research and n...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10198917
- **Project number:** 5R00DK119412-04
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Dong Wang
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $248,865
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10198917

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10198917, Mediterranean Diet, Polyphenol-Rich Foods, Gut Microbiota and Type 2 Diabetes (5R00DK119412-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10198917. Licensed CC0.

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