New treatments to stop Uropathogenic E. coli from causing urinary tract infections
Official title: D-peptide Inhibitors of Uropathogenic E. coli Adhesion Proteins to Treat Urinary Tract Infections
Funded at University of Utah · NIH-10933568 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for new ways to treat urinary tract infections by blocking the germs that cause them from sticking to your urinary tract, using special tiny proteins that could help keep you healthy without harming the good bacteria in your body.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $42,934 |
| NIH project number | 5F31AI167609-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10933568 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who experience recurrent urinary tract infections caused by Uropathogenic E. coli.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with UTIs caused by non-Uropathogenic E. coli or other pathogens may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing new treatments for urinary tract infections (UTIs) by targeting specific adhesion proteins on Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) that allow the bacteria to attach to and infect the urinary tract. The approach involves creating D-peptide inhibitors that block these proteins, preventing the bacteria from adhering to host cells. By using advanced techniques like mirror-image phage display, the researchers aim to identify effective inhibitors that can be delivered in a way that maintains their effectiveness while minimizing disruption to beneficial bacteria. This innovative method could lead to a new class of treatments that are less reliant on traditional antibiotics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a novel treatment option for patients suffering from recurrent urinary tract infections, reducing reliance on antibiotics.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of using D-peptide inhibitors is innovative, similar strategies targeting bacterial adhesion have shown promise in other studies, indicating potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Robins, Marcy — University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Robins, Marcy
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
New ways to stop urinary tract infections by blocking bacterial adhesion
A study to test new methods that prevent bacteria from sticking to urinary tract tissues and devices, potentially stopping infections before they start.
-
Hybridization capture sequencing to quickly identify canine urinary pathogens and resistance genes
A new sequencing approach directly from dog urine aims to rapidly identify bacteria causing urinary infections and their drug-resistance profiles to guide treatment.
-
Enterococcal Proteases and CAUTI: How the body’s environment activates bacteria to cause infections
A small grant is exploring how two enzymes from Enterococcus faecalis interact with the urine environment to drive catheter-associated urinary tract infections and why these infections are hard to treat.
-
Daily nitrofurantoin with or without bladder cauterization to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women
This study tests two approaches to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women: taking a low-dose antibiotic every day versus adding a bladder cauterization procedure plus the same daily antibiotic.
-
New bacterial pathway that helps cause bladder infections
Researchers are exploring how bacteria steal nutrients in the bladder and how the body fights them to help people with urinary tract infections.
-
New oral antifungal for tough Candida UTIs
A Johns Hopkins team is testing a new oral antifungal medicine called fungerps to treat urinary tract infections caused by azole-resistant Candida fungi.
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.