How a Staph aureus toxin (LukAB) harms immune cells
Mechanistic Studies Of The Staphylococcus aureus LukAB Cytotoxin
Researchers are learning how the LukAB toxin from Staphylococcus aureus damages human immune cells to help guide better treatments for infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11228410 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project looks at how a common Staphylococcus aureus toxin called LukAB attacks and kills the immune cells that normally fight infection. Researchers use human blood cells and laboratory models to see how LukAB binds to human proteins (CD11b and HVCN1) and forms pores that kill phagocytes. They compare human and mouse proteins to understand why the toxin prefers human targets and study infections in mice and human clinical samples. The goal is to map the exact molecular steps the toxin uses so scientists can design drugs or vaccines that block it.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with Staphylococcus aureus infections or healthy volunteers who can donate blood or white blood cell samples for laboratory studies.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments for an active infection are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable new therapies or vaccines that stop the toxin from disabling immune cells and reduce severe, antibiotic-resistant Staph infections.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies have shown LukAB is important for killing human immune cells, but translating that knowledge into treatments remains largely novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
Memphis, United States
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — Memphis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Torres, Victor J. — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Torres, Victor J.
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.