Fungal–bacterial gut and bloodstream infections: how mixed infections worsen outcomes
Official title: Fungal-bacterial dynamics driving dysregulated host responses and lethal synergism
Funded at University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr · NIH-11377678 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A funded project will study how fungal and bacterial infections together worsen illness in hospitalized patients and why they lead to higher death rates.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $777,079 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI177615-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377678 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with abdominal infections involving both fungal and bacterial pathogens or at risk for these polymicrobial infections could benefit from future applications of this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with infections caused by a single organism or unrelated conditions may not benefit from this study’s findings.
What this research studies
This grant aims to understand why infections caused by Candida albicans and bacteria together cause worse outcomes in abdominal infections. Researchers will look at how microbes interact to increase toxin production and trigger harmful immune and blood-clotting responses. They will use animal models and human-relevant experiments to map the steps from coinfection to severe disease, with the goal of identifying points to intervene. The work focuses on mechanisms that could someday guide better treatments for patients with polymicrobial abdominal infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to targeted therapies that reduce mortality and complications in patients with polymicrobial abdominal infections.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that microbial interactions can worsen disease, but this project investigates specific fungal–bacterial cooperation in abdominal infections, which is less well understood and considered innovative.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peters, Brian M — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: Peters, Brian M
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.