Kyla Nichols

PROBING THE MICROBIOME EFFECT

Working with Katharina Ribbeck, the Andrew (1956) and Erna Viterbi Professor of Biological Engineering, Nichols aims to understand how mucins – proteins that trap germs and prevent infection – regulate host­microbe interactions in the gastrointestinal and female reproductive tracts.

Recent research points to evidence that an imbalance of gut bacteria may lead to Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and multiple sclerosis, among other conditions. Scrutinizing gut neurons for a buildup of alpha-synuclein proteins – the same ones that misfold and form clumps in the brains of Parkinson’s patients – might lead to earlier diagnoses of these diseases.

With something as simple as a cheek swab, “there’s a lot of potential to identify different biomarkers that could be indicative of a healthy microbiome,” Nichols said. “It’s possible that you could assess a person’s health through profiling unique changes in their glycans,” the primary constituents of mucins. If beneficial bacteria are lacking, there could be ways to boost them through an oral supplement or by applying them topically. “These are potential therapeutic options with minimal risks,” she said.

Studies have shown that certain mental health and gastrointestinal disorders, considered gut-brain disorders, tend to be more prevalent in women. Nichols wants to know why – and how estrogen and other sex hormones could be playing a role.

In the lab, Nichols uses mice injected with human microbiome samples to model post-traumatic stress disorder. She then gauges the connections between the animals’ stress responses and changes to their microbiomes and mucus. “We’re hoping that if we identify these specific changes, we could pinpoint a very natural type of therapeutic option that builds that mucosa I barrier back up,” she says.

Nichols is focused on how physiological changes play out in stressed female versus male mice. “I’d love to see it all come together so that I can draw a conclusion on why there might be these strong sex-based differences in mental health disorders,” she says.