How acidity inside our cells helps fight infections
Official title: Elucidating the role of luminal pH in regulating phagosome transport
Funded at University of Michigan at Dearborn · NIH-11161550 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand how the acidity inside our immune cells helps them move and destroy harmful germs like bacteria and yeast.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Dearborn NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dearborn, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $156,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM153701-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11161550 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research does not directly involve patients, but future applications could benefit individuals with infections caused by pathogens like Mycobacteria, Salmonella, or Candida.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not currently affected by infections that evade immune cell defenses would not directly benefit from this specific foundational research.
What this research studies
Our immune cells, called macrophages, fight off harmful germs by swallowing them and trapping them in a bubble called a phagosome. This bubble then becomes more acidic, which is important for moving the germ to be destroyed. However, some germs, such as certain bacteria and yeast, have learned to trick this process. We want to learn more about how the acidity inside these bubbles helps them move and how germs manage to avoid being destroyed. By understanding these mechanisms, we hope to find new ways to help our bodies fight off infections more effectively.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies for treating infections caused by pathogens that resist our immune system's natural defenses.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work by this team has already revealed a new role for phagosomal pH in governing transport and identified a key regulator, indicating a promising foundation for this continued exploration.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Dearborn
Dearborn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kondapalli, Kalyan C — University of Michigan at Dearborn
- Study coordinator: Kondapalli, Kalyan C
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Tunable nanotherapies to safely dissolve clots in stroke patients
A Nano-based therapy aims to deliver clot-busting drugs directly to the clot in ischemic stroke patients, potentially reducing bleeding risk.
-
Understanding how stomach-like acidity inside immune trash cans affects their movement
Aims to learn how the acidic environment inside phagosomes influences how these immune compartments move and mature to kill bacteria and fungi.
-
Exploring how brain injury affects cell interactions and structure in the brain's blood barrier
This study is looking at how a brain injury affects the tiny cells that help keep your brain healthy and functioning well, and it's for anyone interested in understanding more about what happens in the brain after a traumatic injury.
-
Understanding how pH affects the movement of immune cells
This study is looking at how the acidity inside immune cells affects their movement and ability to fight off germs, focusing on a protein called NHE9, which could help us find new ways to boost our immune response.
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.