How combining beta-lactam antibiotics with enzyme blockers affects resistant bacteria
Evolutionary dynamics of combinational antimicrobial treatments
This work looks at how pairing common beta-lactam antibiotics with drugs that block bacterial beta-lactamase enzymes changes which bacteria survive and spread.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11145256 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will grow different bacterial strains that vary in how much beta-lactamase enzyme they produce and test combinations of beta-lactam antibiotics plus beta-lactamase inhibitors in the lab. They will measure which strains survive, how much enzyme production helps bacteria, and how strongly inhibitors reduce that benefit. The team will use these results to understand evolutionary patterns that could make resistance more or less likely under combination treatment. Findings aim to reveal when combining drugs helps preserve antibiotic effectiveness and when it might unintentionally favor resistant strains.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with infections caused by beta-lactam-resistant bacteria, or patients willing to provide bacterial samples for research on antibiotic resistance, would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Patients without bacterial infections or those with infections not involving beta-lactamase-producing organisms are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors choose drug combinations that keep existing antibiotics working longer against resistant infections.
How similar studies have performed: Clinically, pairing beta-lactams with beta-lactamase inhibitors is already used to restore antibiotic activity, but using evolutionary lab experiments to predict long-term resistance patterns is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: You, Lingchong — Duke University
- Study coordinator: You, Lingchong
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.