New medicines to target TB bacteria hiding inside cells
Official title: Targeting protein secretion in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Funded at Tmliverpool School of Tropical Medicine · NIH-11470111 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is developing new drugs designed to kill both active and hidden tuberculosis bacteria for people with drug-sensitive or drug-resistant TB.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tmliverpool School of Tropical Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Liverpool, United Kingdom) |
| Project start | February 1, 2026 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $476,966 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AI182006-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11470111 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with active pulmonary TB, including drug-resistant cases and those with persistent infections that are slow to clear, would be the most likely to benefit in future clinical testing.
✕Less likely to help
People without tuberculosis or with infections caused by other organisms are unlikely to benefit from these specific drugs.
What this research studies
Researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine are improving small molecules that block bacterial protein secretion, a process TB bacteria use to survive inside cells. They identified two promising chemical series from high-throughput screening that appear to stop protein synthesis and work against both growing and dormant bacteria. Over the next years the team will optimize these leads for drug-like properties, test them in lab and mouse infection models, and study how blocking the LepB secretion pathway causes rapid bacterial death. The goal is to generate strong preclinical evidence that could support future human trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these drugs could shorten TB treatment and work against strains that resist current antibiotics, including bacteria in dormant states.
How similar studies have gone: Drugs that target bacterial protein synthesis have proven useful in the past, but specifically targeting the LepB-mediated secretion pathway for TB is a newer, mostly preclinical approach with limited clinical precedent.
Where this research is happening
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Tmliverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Liverpool, United Kingdom Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parish, Tanya — Tmliverpool School of Tropical Medicine
- Study coordinator: Parish, Tanya
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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.