Molecular insights into how Salmonella adapts to host defenses to fight antibiotic resistance
Official title: Molecular Analysis of Bacterial Adaptive Response to Host Reactive Species
Funded at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System · NIH-11402389 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how Salmonella bacteria turn on its virulence programs inside people with weakened immune systems to help design better antibiotics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX002073-14 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402389 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with HIV, cancer, or other conditions that compromise the immune system and make them susceptible to invasive Salmonella infections.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals with intact immune systems may experience indirect benefits but are unlikely to be the primary beneficiaries.
What this research studies
This project looks at how Salmonella uses its internal regulators, like DksA and Gre factors, to control virulence genes when it faces host defense forces. By mapping the interactions between these regulators and bacterial RNA polymerase, scientists hope to identify weaknesses that new antibiotics could target. The work combines molecular biology and pathogen biology to understand how Salmonella causes disease in immunocompromised patients, including those with HIV or cancer. Findings could guide the development of drugs that disrupt the bacteria’s ability to cause invasive infections. The grant focuses on translating basic bacterial mechanisms into potential therapeutic strategies for people at higher risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to new antibiotics that better treat serious Salmonella infections in vulnerable patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that targeting bacterial virulence regulators can impair pathogenesis, supporting potential for new drugs.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vazquez-Torres, Andres — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Vazquez-Torres, Andres
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.