Pathogen-linked amyloid-β and kidney inflammation in UTIs
Official title: Pathogen-Induced Amyloid-ß Drives Inflammation in UTI
Funded at University of South Alabama · NIH-11373881 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small NIH grant is exploring whether amyloid-β, a protein better known for its role in dementia, helps fight urinary tract infections but may also drive kidney inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Alabama NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mobile, United States) |
| Project start | May 7, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $234,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI194156-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373881 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with a history of recurrent UTIs or those at high risk for urosepsis in whom future translate-ready therapies could be tested.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without UTIs or infection-related kidney risk may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project looks at how urinary tract infections might cause a harmful inflammatory response through amyloid-β. Researchers will study whether Aβ acts as an antimicrobial peptide during infection and whether it accumulates in the kidney alongside bacterial load in a mouse UTI model. The goal is to understand if this mechanism could explain kidney injury after UTIs and whether targeting Aβ could reduce harmful inflammation. The work builds on clinical observations of elevated Aβ in severe infections and connects them to kidney disease processes that are relevant to patients with dementia-related conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding this pathway could lead to new approaches to prevent kidney injury from UTIs and may shed light on how infection-related inflammation relates to neurodegenerative disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show that Aβ can act as an antimicrobial peptide and that infection can elevate Aβ levels, supporting potential relevance to this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Alabama
Mobile, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shea, Allyson E — University of South Alabama
- Study coordinator: Shea, Allyson E
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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.