Deciphering how Listeria breaches the brain’s barrier to cause neurolisteriosis
Official title: Deciphering the Bacterial and Host Interactions Driving Listeria monocytogenes Paracellular Translocation Across the Blood-Brain Barrier
Funded at Old Dominion University · NIH-11424776 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying how the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes crosses the brain barrier to cause severe brain infections, with potential to guide new treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Old Dominion University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Norfolk, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $157,982 |
| NIH project number | 1R16AI189462-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11424776 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with a history or risk of Listeria infection, particularly those at risk for neurolisteriosis, and transferable to future clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without exposure or risk to Listeria infections may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on how a common foodborne bacterium can invade the brain and cause neurolisteriosis. Researchers will study the bacterial protein LAP and how it helps Listeria slip through the brain’s protective barrier, using lab models and animal studies. The work combines microbiology, neurobiology, and proteomics to uncover the steps that lead to central nervous system infection and to explore targeted interventions. Graduate and undergraduate students will gain hands-on training in modern molecular techniques and data analysis as part of the research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat brain infections caused by Listeria.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies have identified Listeria factors involved in infection, but the exact mechanism of brain entry is still being defined, making this approach innovative.
Where this research is happening
-
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Drolia, Rishi — Old Dominion University
- Study coordinator: Drolia, Rishi
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.