Nerve peptide that may worsen Staph bone infections
Official title: Substance P exacerbation of staphylococcal bone damage
Funded at University of North Carolina Charlotte · NIH-11137131 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work is finding out whether a nerve chemical called substance P makes Staphylococcus aureus bone infections more inflammatory and damaging for people with osteomyelitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of North Carolina Charlotte NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlotte, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $382,454 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI170012-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11137131 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with Staphylococcus aureus bone infections (osteomyelitis) who might donate bone or tissue samples now or be eligible for future trials targeting substance P pathways.
✕Less likely to help
People whose bone problems are due to non-infectious causes or other types of bacteria not driven by the same inflammatory pathways may not receive direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
You should know that researchers will use both mouse infection models and isolated human bone cells in the lab to see how substance P affects bone inflammation, osteoclast and osteoblast behavior, and bacterial-driven bone loss. They will expose bone cells to Staphylococcus aureus and substance P to track immune signals and cell responses, and test whether blocking the substance P receptor (NK-1R) reduces damage. The project combines cell-culture experiments using human and murine cells with established in vivo animal models to observe bone destruction over time. The aim is to generate findings that could guide therapies to protect bone during staph infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to treatments that block substance P signaling to reduce inflammation and bone loss in staphylococcal osteomyelitis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous preclinical studies show substance P can worsen inflammation in other tissues and can change bone-cell responses, but applying NK-1R blockade to staphylococcal osteomyelitis is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Charlotte, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marriott, Ian — University of North Carolina Charlotte
- Study coordinator: Marriott, Ian
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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.