How typhoid and paratyphoid bacteria cause and persist in infection
Official title: The Pathogenesis of Enteric Fever
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11284029 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using mice with human immune cells, the team is finding how typhoid and paratyphoid bacteria hide inside human immune cells to help people with enteric fever.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | February 24, 2021 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $695,708 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI160130-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11284029 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have had or currently have enteric fever (typhoid or paratyphoid) or healthy volunteers willing to donate blood for research could be relevant participants or sample donors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with unrelated infections or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic-science work.
What this research studies
This project uses mice that have been given human immune systems so researchers can watch how S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi interact with human immune cells. They map which bacterial genes are needed to cause disease and how the bacteria stop infected immune cells from dying. The team is testing ways to clear persistent infection, for example by triggering death of infected macrophages, and is studying how iron levels and the gut microbiome affect infection. Results come from a mix of infected human cells, genome-wide bacterial analyses, and the humanized mouse model.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new ways to clear chronic typhoid infections by targeting infected immune cells or key bacterial survival mechanisms.
How similar studies have gone: Humanized-mouse and cell-based studies have improved understanding of typhoid biology, but approaches to clear persistent infection by killing infected immune cells remain novel and experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fang, Ferric C — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Fang, Ferric C
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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.