Phage-based medicines to treat drug-resistant Pseudomonas infections
Official title: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Mechanistically Aware Phage Cocktails
Funded at State University of New York at Buffalo · NIH-11375101 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to optimize phage-based therapy regimens against tough, drug-resistant Pseudomonas infections to improve how these viruses kill bacteria in real patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Amherst, United States) |
| Project start | August 12, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $808,654 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI177997-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11375101 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with XDR/MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections who could be candidates for phage-based treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose infections are caused by bacteria not targeted by the studied phages or who cannot tolerate phage therapy.
What this research studies
This project looks at how specific bacteriophages that target Pseudomonas aeruginosa behave in the body and how they interact with antibiotics. Researchers will study how phages move, multiply, and are cleared in the presence of bacterial targets to design better dosing strategies. The work builds on preclinical and early human data to tailor regimens that maximize bacterial killing while minimizing risks. The ultimate goal is to guide future use of phage therapies for people with difficult, antibiotic-resistant infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with resistant Pseudomonas infections could receive more effective, precisely dosed phage therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Early data suggest phages can be effective against resistant bacteria, but regimens and dosing need refinement; this study advances that.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Buffalo
Amherst, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Nicholas Michael — State University of New York at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Smith, Nicholas Michael
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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.