How Enterococcus bacteria resist common antibiotics
Role and regulation of intracellular signaling in enterococcal antimicrobial resistance
Researchers are learning how Enterococcus bacteria use internal chemical signals to survive cephalosporin antibiotics, which could help people who get serious hospital infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238532 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Scientists will examine the molecules inside Enterococcus bacteria that let them survive antibiotics that target the cell wall. They will grow bacteria in the lab, alter genes and proteins, and measure levels of specific intracellular nucleotide signals and metabolites. The team will study the enzymes that make and break these signals and how membrane protein interactions change signal production when the cell wall is stressed. The goal is to find molecular targets that could lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant enterococcal infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have or are at high risk for antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus infections (for example, hospitalized patients with recurrent or severe infections) would be the most likely to benefit from future treatments arising from this work.
Not a fit: Patients with infections caused by unrelated bacteria or whose infections are already effectively treated with available antibiotics are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic laboratory-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug targets and strategies to treat or prevent antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus infections.
How similar studies have performed: Related research on bacterial signaling has sometimes led to new antimicrobial approaches, but this specific intracellular nucleotide signaling mechanism in Enterococcus is largely novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
Milwaukee, United States
- Medical College of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kristich, Christopher J — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Kristich, Christopher 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.