New vaccine targets to prevent gonorrhea
Official title: Novel vaccine antigens against N. gonorrhoeae
Funded at Tufts University Boston · NIH-11394871 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to identify and test new vaccine antigens from Neisseria gonorrhoeae to help prevent gonorrhea infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 8, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $557,737 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI166537-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11394871 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not a direct patient enrollment study; future vaccine trials would involve people at risk for gonorrhea.
✕Less likely to help
This phase does not involve patient participation and may not benefit a specific individual now.
What this research studies
This project looks for new, surface-exposed gonorrhea proteins that could be used in a vaccine. Researchers use bioinformatics to predict which proteins might trigger a protective immune response and then test a subset in lab studies. The work builds on previous findings about proteins expressed during human infection and aims to pick targets likely to be present across strains. If successful, these targets could form the basis of a vaccine that lowers the risk of gonorrhea and its complications.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the vaccine targets could lead to a preventive vaccine against gonorrhea, reducing infections and antibiotic resistance.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work identified several candidate antigens and three were confirmed as surface-exposed, supporting a productive path forward.
Where this research is happening
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Tufts University Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Massari, Paola — Tufts University Boston
- Study coordinator: Massari, Paola
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.