# BCCMA: Targeting Gut-Microbiome in Veterans Deployment Related Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases: Dysbiosis, PTSD, and Epithelial and Immune Biology in Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Veterans

> **NIH VA I01** · VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION · 2024 · —

## Abstract

This Merit Review Project is part of a Collaborative Merit Review Award (CMA), in response to an RFA seeking
collaborative projects related to military service exposures and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here in
CMA2 we focus on the gut microbiome, PTSD, and host features specific to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
in Veterans. Our overall CMA has 5 projects based on the concept that while emerging evidence supports the
importance of the gut microbiome in human diseases, there are no systematic studies focusing on the role of the
gut microbiome in deployment-related GI and liver diseases in Veterans. Our overall CMA application, based on
the Roadmap developed by our group, proposes to address this knowledge gap. The questions to be addressed
include the novel role of the gut microbiome and chronic stress in mechanisms underlying the higher incidence
of diarrheal diseases, IBD, and liver diseases in Veterans. A highly collaborative group of high-impact
translational projects (3 CSRD & 2 BLRD) will address: CMA1- the role of Gulf War Illness (GWI) and PTSD gut
microbiome in susceptibility to diarrheal diseases; CMA2 (this project)- the role of PTSD in increased incidence
of IBD/gut inflammation; CMA3- the role of PTSD microbiome in gut-barrier structure and function; CMA4- the
role of PTSD and microbiome in liver disease; and CMA5- functional metagenomics in GWl-related gut
dysfunctions. The CMA approach is critical as the PIs will collaborate on shared sources of: a) gut microbiome
from Veterans; b) metagenomics, metabolomics, and gene expression data; and c) state of the art mouse models
and organoid technologies. This CMA2 proposal considers the following concepts. IBD is increasing in the USA
and in the VA, and causes morbidity in VA patients. Psychological stress, especially PTSD has been implicated
in IBD. PTSD is linked to systemic inflammation and autoimmunity, but specific effects on the gut are unknown.
An altered microbiome (dysbiosis) is strongly associated with IBD. Deployment related PTSD in Veterans may
be related to dysbiosis, which has been linked to an altered gut-brain axis. More work is needed to determine
biological links between PTSD and IBD, which we will study in VA patients. The PI is a gastroenterologist at the
VATVHS, and he and his VA GI colleagues can obtain clinical samples for this project, based on our VINCI
analysis of the high number of IBD patients at the VATVHS who also have PTSD. Our hypothesis is that PTSD
predisposes to and exacerbates IBD in Veterans due to a dysbiotic microbiome, and gut epithelial and
immune dysfunction. The Specific Aims are: 1) To test the hypothesis that the dysbiotic gut microbiome in
PTSD contributes to IBD pathogenesis in Veterans. We will study the gut microbiome and its function in stool
samples and colon tissues. This will be related to deployment history and PTSD assessments. We will utilize: A)
metagenomics; and B) metabolomics. The translational goal is to develop stra...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10830928
- **Project number:** 5I01CX002473-02
- **Recipient organization:** VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
- **Principal Investigator:** Keith T. Wilson
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10830928

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10830928, BCCMA: Targeting Gut-Microbiome in Veterans Deployment Related Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases: Dysbiosis, PTSD, and Epithelial and Immune Biology in Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Veterans (5I01CX002473-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10830928. Licensed CC0.

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