How a common human blood protein helps Acinetobacter pick up antibiotic-resistance genes
Official title: Identifying host human products responsible for natural transformation of resistance traits in Acinetobacter spp
Funded at California State University Fullerton · NIH-11111361 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether human serum albumin, a common blood protein, makes Acinetobacter bacteria more likely to grab genes that cause antibiotic resistance, which matters for people with these infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California State University Fullerton NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fullerton, United States) |
| Project start | February 7, 2018 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $106,500 |
| NIH project number | 5SC3GM125556-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11111361 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The findings would be most relevant to people with Acinetobacter infections or patients at high risk for these hospital-acquired infections, such as those on ventilators or with prolonged ICU stays.
✕Less likely to help
People without Acinetobacter infections or those with infections caused by unrelated pathogens are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this specific work.
What this research studies
Researchers will work in the lab with Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria and human-derived serum albumin to see how the protein sticks to bacterial surfaces and changes bacterial behavior. They will measure levels of the bacterial regulator H-NS and competence-related genes and compare normal bacteria to strains with altered H-NS. The team will test whether these molecular changes increase the bacteria's ability to take up foreign DNA carrying resistance traits. This work uses lab-grown bacteria and human proteins rather than treating patients directly, aiming to find steps in the process that might be blocked later to protect patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify molecular targets to stop Acinetobacter from acquiring resistance genes, helping preserve antibiotic options for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Some preliminary lab data have linked human serum albumin to increased DNA uptake in Acinetobacter, but targeting this mechanism is a relatively novel approach with limited prior studies.
Where this research is happening
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California State University Fullerton
Fullerton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ramirez, Maria Soledad — California State University Fullerton
- Study coordinator: Ramirez, Maria Soledad
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.