New ways to fight group B streptococcus infections
Official title: Novel translational strategies to combat group B streptococcus infections
Funded at Methodist Hospital Research Institute · NIH-11054168 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring new ways to fight group B streptococcus infections, which can be very serious for newborns, by using a special probiotic that makes a new antibiotic to help keep harmful bacteria away, and they’ll be testing it in mice to see how well it works.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Methodist Hospital Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | November 12, 2024 |
| Project end | October 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $242,250 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI182870-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11054168 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals at risk of GBS infections, particularly pregnant women and newborns.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not at risk for GBS infections or those who have already been effectively treated with existing therapies may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing innovative strategies to combat group B streptococcus (GBS) infections, which are a leading cause of serious health issues like stillbirths and neonatal mortality. The team has discovered a human probiotic that produces a new antibiotic called salivabactin, which shows promise in inhibiting harmful bacteria. They are working on enhancing the production of this antibiotic through engineered probiotics and will test these approaches in mouse models that mimic human infections. The goal is to evaluate how effective these new treatments could be in preventing or treating GBS infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that significantly reduce the incidence of GBS infections and their associated complications.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of using engineered probiotics is innovative, similar strategies have shown promise in other bacterial infections, indicating potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Methodist Hospital Research Institute
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kumaraswami, Muthiah — Methodist Hospital Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Kumaraswami, Muthiah
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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.