Molecular clues about how enterotoxigenic E. coli causes diarrhea
Official title: Molecular Pathogenesis of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infections
Funded at St. Louis VA Medical Center · NIH-11411804 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how a nasty gut bacterium (ETEC) causes diarrhea and how human gut cells respond, with the aim of understanding why infections happen and persist.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Louis VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (St. Louis, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 2I01RD001489-06A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11411804 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with acute diarrheal illness suspected to be caused by ETEC, or individuals at risk of severe ETEC infection, may benefit from future therapies developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals or those with non-ETEC diarrheal illnesses may not benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how ETEC interacts with human gut cells using advanced models like human stem cell–derived intestinal organoids and special mouse models. The goal is to map the molecular steps that lead to illness and how the gut’s defenses are involved, so future therapies can target those steps. The work focuses on the role of CEACAM molecules in bacterial adherence and disease, aiming to reflect how this happens in people rather than in non-human systems. The findings could inform better management of acute diarrhea and reduce antibiotic resistance spread by guiding targeted treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat ETEC-related diarrhea in people of all ages.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work using human-derived models suggests that CEACAMs play a role in bacterial binding; this project builds on those findings with more human-relevant systems.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Louis VA Medical Center
St. Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fleckenstein, James Michael — St. Louis VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Fleckenstein, James Michael
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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.