Genetic clues to defensin signaling in urinary tract infections
Official title: Genetic dissection of defensin signaling in urinary tract infections
Funded at University of Texas Dallas · NIH-11369052 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists will study how defensins, tiny immune molecules, help fight urinary tract infections in a mouse model to uncover new ways to treat UTIs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project start | July 22, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $584,677 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK140039-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11369052 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with recurrent UTIs or those affected by UTIs, whose conditions could later align with translational efforts stemming from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without UTIs or those not involved in related translational pathways may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
UTIs are a common problem, especially for older women, and current antibiotics don’t always clear the infection. This project uses specially engineered mice lacking defensin genes to understand how defensins and their receptors influence infection and pain in the urinary tract. The work aims to identify new immune-based strategies that could complement or surpass antibiotics in preventing and treating UTIs. The approach combines genetic tools, mouse models of UTI, and analyses of bladder tissue to map defensin roles in immunity and pain signaling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new immune-based therapies that reduce UTIs and urinary pain.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in defensin biology showed tissue-specific roles, but this project extends to the urinary tract with a novel tissue-specific defensin knockout approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Dallas
Richardson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dong, Xintong — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Dong, Xintong
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
New ways to stop urinary tract infections by blocking bacterial adhesion
A study to test new methods that prevent bacteria from sticking to urinary tract tissues and devices, potentially stopping infections before they start.
-
Hybridization capture sequencing to quickly identify canine urinary pathogens and resistance genes
A new sequencing approach directly from dog urine aims to rapidly identify bacteria causing urinary infections and their drug-resistance profiles to guide treatment.
-
Enterococcal Proteases and CAUTI: How the body’s environment activates bacteria to cause infections
A small grant is exploring how two enzymes from Enterococcus faecalis interact with the urine environment to drive catheter-associated urinary tract infections and why these infections are hard to treat.
-
Daily nitrofurantoin with or without bladder cauterization to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women
This study tests two approaches to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women: taking a low-dose antibiotic every day versus adding a bladder cauterization procedure plus the same daily antibiotic.
-
New bacterial pathway that helps cause bladder infections
Researchers are exploring how bacteria steal nutrients in the bladder and how the body fights them to help people with urinary tract infections.
-
New oral antifungal for tough Candida UTIs
A Johns Hopkins team is testing a new oral antifungal medicine called fungerps to treat urinary tract infections caused by azole-resistant Candida fungi.
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.