New antibiotics to treat hard-to-cure infections
Official title: Hybrid Antibiotics for Persistent Infections
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-10935961 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at new ways to create hybrid antibiotics that can better fight tough bacterial infections, especially for people dealing with stubborn infections that don't respond well to regular antibiotics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $842,568 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI180231-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10935961 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include patients with complicated Gram-positive infections, such as bacteremia, prosthetic joint infections, or infective endocarditis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with infections caused by bacteria that are not Gram-positive or those who do not have persistent infections may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing and optimizing hybrid antibiotics that target difficult-to-treat bacterial infections, particularly those associated with biofilms and complicated Gram-positive infections. The approach involves using a combination of two types of antibiotics to effectively kill bacteria that are in a dormant state, which traditional antibiotics struggle to eliminate. By activating specific cellular processes, these new agents aim to overcome antibiotic resistance and improve treatment outcomes for patients with severe infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for patients suffering from persistent and hard-to-treat bacterial infections.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using hybrid antibiotics to tackle antibiotic-resistant infections, indicating that this approach may be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Richard E. — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Lee, Richard E.
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.