By DoM Communications | Date published: May 19, 2026

Neal Silverman and Ravi Bharadwaj Investigate the Role of SLC46A3 in Gut Health 

Neal Silverman, PhD, professor of medicine, and Ravi Bharadwaj, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, both in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, received an R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the role of SLC46A3 in gut health. With the grant, Drs. Silverman and Bharadwaj will examine the function of SLC46A3, a solute carrier transport protein critical for delivering bacterial cell wall fragments into the cell interior.  
 
According to Drs. Silverman and Bharadwaj, bacterial cell wall fragments trigger the cytosolic innate immune sensor NOD2. Mutations in Nod2 are strongly linked to IBD, and both Slc46a3 and Nod2 are essential for mounting innate immune responses in the gut and maintaining a healthy balance between the gut microbiome and the GI tract. Their study aims to uncover how SLC46A3-mediated bacterial cell wall fragment transport regulates NOD2 signaling and contributes to maintaining the gut barrier and shaping a healthy microbiome. By clarifying the underlying cellular and molecular functions of the SLC46A3/NOD2 axis, this research could pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches that strengthen intestinal defenses and advance understanding of IBD pathogenesis.