A new vaccine approach to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections

A novel vaccination strategy to curb recUTIs

NIH-funded research Duke University · NIH-10763881

This study is testing a new way to help women who often get urinary tract infections by using a special vaccine delivered right into the bladder to boost their immune system and hopefully prevent future infections.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionDuke University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Durham, United States)
Project IDNIH-10763881 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates a novel vaccination strategy aimed at preventing recurrent urinary tract infections (recUTIs), which are particularly common in women. The approach involves delivering a specific vaccine antigen directly into the bladder, combined with an adjuvant that helps stimulate the immune response. By recruiting immune cells that can effectively clear bacteria from the bladder, this strategy aims to reduce the frequency of UTIs in patients who have experienced multiple infections. The research is currently focused on optimizing this delivery method and identifying effective immune response markers before moving to clinical trials.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are women who have a history of recurrent urinary tract infections.

Not a fit: Patients who have never experienced a urinary tract infection or those with other underlying health conditions that complicate UTI treatment may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to an effective vaccine that significantly reduces the occurrence of recurrent urinary tract infections in patients.

How similar studies have performed: While many UTI vaccines have been tested, this specific approach of using a bladder-targeted vaccine with immune cell recruitment is novel and has not yet been widely implemented in clinical settings.

Where this research is happening

Durham, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions bacteria infectionbacterial diseaseBacterial Infections
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.