How H. pylori causes stomach infection and disease
Official title: "Pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori Infection"
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11116982 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at bacterial proteins that help H. pylori survive in the stomach to help people with H. pylori infections and related ulcers or cancer risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2019 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX004447-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11116982 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be people with confirmed H. pylori infection, a history of peptic ulcer disease, or those willing to provide clinical samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
People without H. pylori infection or whose stomach symptoms are due to unrelated conditions (for example, GERD not caused by H. pylori) are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying specific outer membrane proteins in H. pylori that transport metals such as iron and nickel, which the bacteria need to live in the acidic stomach. They create bacterial strains with specific gene changes and test how those changes affect the bacteria's ability to take up metals and colonize. Lab experiments use cultured bacteria and established laboratory models to trace how these transport systems work and how they interact with the bacterial energy-transduction machinery. The goal is to identify bacterial mechanisms that could be targeted to prevent or better treat H. pylori infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets for antibiotics or vaccines that more effectively clear H. pylori and lower ulcer and stomach cancer risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown metal-uptake systems are important for H. pylori survival, but the specific TonB-dependent transporters studied here are novel and less well tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cover, Timothy L — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Cover, Timothy L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how Helicobacter pylori causes disease and how to block it
Scientists are studying how the stomach-dwelling bacteria H. pylori causes illness and how to stop it from using its outer proteins to grab nutrients.
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Genetic factors shaping Helicobacter pylori infection
A scientist is studying how the genetics of the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori interact with human hosts to influence infection and disease risk.
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Family-based testing to prevent gastric cancer from Helicobacter pylori
A doctor-facing plan to test and treat multiple family members of someone with H. pylori to prevent stomach cancer in adults.
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New cancer-causing mechanisms in H. pylori infection
A scientist is studying how Helicobacter pylori may cause stomach cancer and how this knowledge could lead to better treatments for patients.
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How H. pylori infection may cause stomach inflammation and early cancer changes
This project looks at how H. pylori infection together with an activated cancer-related gene (KRAS) changes stomach cells toward precancerous and cancerous states, mainly using mouse models.
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Investigating how polyamines affect stomach cancer risk during H. pylori infection
This study is looking at how certain natural compounds in the stomach might affect inflammation and the risk of stomach cancer in people infected with Helicobacter pylori, and it aims to find new ways to help prevent cancer for those individuals.
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.