City of Hope's Dr. Alexis LeVee Awarded Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's 2024 USA National Research Grant

BEDMINSTER, N.J., Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation, an independent organization founded by Biocodex, has awarded its 2024 USA Microbiome Research Grant to Alexis LeVee, MD, Chief Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellow at City of Hope, a national cancer research and treatment organization ranked among the nation's top 5 cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report.

Dr. LeVee's pioneering research focuses on the potential for gut microbiome compositions to predict and enhance responses to immunotherapy for patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a challenging and aggressive form of breast cancer.

The $50,000 grant is awarded to early-career U.S.-based researchers investigating the influence of gut microbiota on human health. This marks the eighth year the Foundation has awarded the grant, totaling $400,000 in support of innovative microbiome research across fields such as oncology, neurology, and metabolic disorders.

City of Hope is accelerating its research and focus on the direct correlation between a healthy gut and the effectiveness of immune therapies, such as CAR T cell therapy. Dr. LeVee's project builds on data from the PEARL trial, which investigated patient outcomes when radiation therapy is combined with immunotherapy in treating early-stage TNBC. Her research will analyze stool samples and immune markers in tumor biopsies to determine if certain gut bacteria can predict positive responses to this therapy. This study may uncover a new microbiome-based biomarker to personalize and improve treatment for breast cancer patients.

"This Biocodex Microbiota Foundation grant will significantly advance our ability to explore the microbiome's complex interactions with the immune system," Dr. LeVee said. "With this support, we at City of Hope can delve deeper into how specific gut bacteria may optimize immunotherapy responses for breast cancer patients, potentially leading to more precise and effective treatment approaches."

Marie-Emmanuelle LeGuern, Chairman of the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation, remarked on the importance of this year's grant: "We are honored to support Dr. LeVee's groundbreaking work, which exemplifies the transformative potential of microbiome research. By advancing our understanding of the microbiome's role in cancer treatment, we are one step closer to realizing innovative, microbiota-based solutions that improve patient care and outcomes."

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's annual grant is part of its global commitment to advancing scientific knowledge of microbiota's role in health and disease. This year's research applications were reviewed by an esteemed judging panel from the US Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's scientific board, comprised of Dr. Ruth Ann Luna from Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Mindy Engevik from the Medical University of South Carolina and Dr. Erica Sonnenburg from Stanford University.

2025 USA Call for Projects 

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation will move its open call for applications for its annual USA research grant from June to January 2025. The US grant theme for 2025 will be Beyond the Gut: The Role of the Gut Microbiome on Whole Body Health. The $50,000 grant, now in its 9th year, is juried by a panel of medical and scientific experts. It will be awarded to a US-based investigator studying gut microbiota in human health and disease. The application portal will be open in mid-January 2025. More information on the grant can be found at - USAFoundation@Biocodex.com

About the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation
The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's mission is to support research into microbiota and its interaction with various pathologies. Research is supported through grants given to projects that investigate the implication of microbiota in human health. The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation supports both foundational and applied research and projects are selected annually by a committee of independent scientists.

The Foundation's primary activity remains awarding annual grants to innovative scientific research projects that explore the structure and impact of microbiota. The Foundation also runs and helps establish programs to improve our understanding of microbiota and disseminates this knowledge as widely as possible, including in scientific communities and via public projects aimed at improving human health.

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation is a non-profit, general-interest organization. For more information, visit Biocodex Microbiota Foundation.

SOURCE Biocodex Microbiota Foundation