Lab tools to understand how the anaplasmosis bacterium infects cells
Tool development for Anaplasma phagocytophilum to understand determinants of infection
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11247054
Researchers are making new laboratory tools to reveal how the bacterium that causes anaplasmosis invades and lives in human cells, which could help people at risk from tick-borne infection.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PULLMAN, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11247054 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project builds new lab methods to see how Anaplasma phagocytophilum — the bacterium that causes anaplasmosis — uses its molecular machinery to enter and survive inside human cells. The team will create a test that signals when bacterial proteins are delivered into host cells, develop systems that can switch bacterial genes on or off, and add luminescent markers to track infection. Once those tools are validated, researchers will use them to identify which secreted bacterial proteins are essential for infection and determine how blocking them affects the bacteria. All work will be performed in the laboratory using bacterial samples and host cells rather than by enrolling patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is preclinical laboratory research that does not enroll volunteers, but the results are most relevant to people exposed to ticks or diagnosed with anaplasmosis.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment, those with conditions unrelated to tick-borne infections, or those hoping to join a clinical trial will not directly benefit from this basic lab work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could uncover targets for new treatments or vaccines and speed development of better ways to prevent or treat anaplasmosis.
How similar studies have performed: Genetic manipulation of this bacterium has been recently demonstrated, so building translocation assays and reporters is a logical and partly proven next step rather than entirely untested.
Where this research is happening
PULLMAN, UNITED STATES
- WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY — PULLMAN, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BRAYTON, KELLY ANN — WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: BRAYTON, KELLY ANN
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.