Peptides to block and deliver drugs in a key bacterial pump to fight antibiotic resistance
Official title: Plugging & Pulling-in: tuning peptides for ToIC to overcome anitbiotic resistance
Funded at University of Kansas Lawrence · NIH-11377435 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project at a university aims to design peptides that plug the TolC bacterial efflux pump, making antibiotics work better against resistant infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Lawrence NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $300,619 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM148583-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377435 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections could benefit from future therapies derived from this research.
✕Less likely to help
This grant is at the basic discovery stage; timing and applicability to individual patients may vary.
What this research studies
This project focuses on understanding how to create high-affinity peptide plugs for the TolC efflux pump in bacteria, with the goal of stopping antibiotic removal and allowing drugs to reach their targets. Scientists will study the protein interactions needed to form effective plugs and explore how peptides might hitchhike through the pump to deliver helpful compounds into bacteria. The work builds on recent structural advances to identify which interactions are essential for blocking the pump or enabling drug delivery. The long-term aim is to develop peptide-based strategies that could restore the effectiveness of existing antibiotics against resistant infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make current antibiotics more effective against resistant bacteria and open new ways to deliver drugs into bacterial cells.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that targeting efflux pumps can restore antibiotic activity in lab settings, but clinical translation remains underway.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Lawrence
Lawrence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Slusky, Joanna Sg — University of Kansas Lawrence
- Study coordinator: Slusky, Joanna Sg
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.