Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey received a $772,697 Project Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847). The award, initiated May 1, 2026 and extending through February 28, 2031, supports investigator-initiated research investigating gut microbiome manipulation to enhance the efficacy and durability of anti-TNF (tumor necrosis factor) treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The research deliverables include preclinical studies utilizing germ-free mouse models (IL-10 knockout and adoptive T-cell transfer models) to determine whether transplanting gut microbiota from anti-TNF treatment responders into treatment-naive recipients improves therapeutic response. Additionally, the project will evaluate whether microbiota shaped by antibiotic exposure can enhance treatment durability by reducing anti-drug antibody development, a common mechanism of treatment failure in IBD patients. These research outputs aim to establish a microbiome-based intervention strategy that could be developed into a prophylactic therapeutic approach to improve clinical outcomes and reduce the need for alternative medications or surgical interventions in IBD management.