How NAIP proteins spot bacteria and trigger inflammation
Official title: Elucidating the Structural Mechanisms of NAIP Receptors in Bacterial Detection and Inflammasome Activation
Funded at Van Andel Research Institute · NIH-11226593 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are mapping how NAIP proteins recognize bacterial parts and turn on inflammatory responses to improve understanding of infections and inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Van Andel Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Grand Rapids, United States) |
| Project start | December 10, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $480,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI165580-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11226593 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project does not recruit patients; it uses purified proteins and laboratory models rather than clinical participants.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate changes to their medical care or new treatments are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
From a patient's view, the team is studying NAIP proteins that detect bits of Gram-negative bacteria and then activate the NLRC4 inflammasome, a molecular machine that starts inflammation. They will work with purified human and mouse NAIP proteins and use structural imaging and biochemical tests to see how the receptors stay inactive in resting cells and how they bind different bacterial parts. The project compares mouse and human NAIP to explain why human NAIP can respond to multiple bacterial ligands. This is lab-based work using protein structure methods and cell experiments rather than clinical treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new ways to control harmful inflammation or guide development of therapies for infections and inflammatory diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies showed how active NAIPs trigger NLRC4 polymerization, but the structural basis for how NAIPs stay inactive and how human NAIP broadly recognizes multiple bacterial parts remains unresolved.
Where this research is happening
-
Van Andel Research Institute
Grand Rapids, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Liman — Van Andel Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Liman
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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.