How cystic fibrosis lung conditions help nontuberculous mycobacteria form biofilms
Official title: The Impact of the Cystic Fibrosis infection environment on biofilm development of nontuberculous mycobacteria
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11262895 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the lung environment in people with cystic fibrosis helps antibiotic-resistant nontuberculous mycobacteria form protective biofilms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | March 3, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $399,187 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI170607-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11262895 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with cystic fibrosis who have or are at risk for nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infection and who can provide sputum samples or participate at the study site.
✕Less likely to help
People without cystic fibrosis or those with unrelated lung conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use sputum from people with cystic fibrosis to see how its chemical makeup and oxygen levels influence nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) behavior. They will apply advanced tissue-clearing and bacterial imaging to visualize where bacteria live in patient-like samples and use 3-D lab models that mimic CF lung conditions to measure growth and drug tolerance. The team will specifically test how low-oxygen (anoxia) causes NTM to enter a slow-growing, drug-tolerant state and how that relates to biofilm formation. By combining real patient sputum chemistry, imaging, and 3-D modeling, the work aims to connect what happens in CF lungs to bacterial survival strategies seen in the lab.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to better ways to disrupt NTM biofilms and make antibiotics work more effectively for people with cystic fibrosis.
How similar studies have gone: Related biofilm research has shown that growth state affects antibiotic response, but applying advanced tissue-clearing imaging and patient-sputum 3-D models to NTM is a relatively new and innovative approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Depas, William H. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Depas, William H.
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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.