Gut-targeted antibiotics for C. difficile infection
Development of Microbiome-Sparing Antibacterials for Clostridioides difficile Infection
Developing gut-targeted antibiotics to kill C. difficile while keeping healthy gut bacteria for people with recurrent C. difficile infections.
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 ID | NIH-11240315 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are designing drugs that hit a specific C. difficile enzyme (FabK) so the medicine focuses on the harmful bug. Their lead compounds worked in mice and stay mostly in the gut, which helps protect normal gut bacteria. The team will strengthen the best molecules, discover new chemical types that block FabK, and test top candidates in animal models to confirm narrow activity against C. difficile with minimal microbiome disruption. If those steps go well, the best drugs could advance toward human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with recurrent C. difficile infections or those at high risk for relapse.
Not a fit: People with non-C. difficile diarrheal illnesses or those needing systemic intravenous antibiotics for severe, life-threatening infections may not benefit from this gut-focused approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide treatments that lower relapse rates while preserving healthy gut bacteria.
How similar studies have performed: Related enzyme-targeting antibiotics (for example FabI inhibitors like isoniazid) have been effective against other bacteria, and these FabK inhibitors showed promising results in mouse studies but have not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Memphis, United States
- University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr — Memphis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hevener, Kirk Edward — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: Hevener, Kirk Edward
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 below.