Safer bacteria designed to deliver medicines without spreading their genes
Official title: Development of a Gene-Transfer-Resistant and Biocontained Next-Generation Bacterial Host for Controlled Drug Delivery
Funded at Harvard Medical School · NIH-11464677 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are designing bacteria that can safely deliver medicines for people with chronic autoimmune conditions by preventing the engineered genes from spreading to other microbes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00EB035165-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11464677 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic autoimmune conditions who might benefit from locally delivered or chronically produced biologic therapies are the eventual candidates for this approach.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who need immediate, established treatments, those with severe active infections, or people who are severely immunocompromised may not benefit from or be eligible for bacterial-based therapies.
What this research studies
This project is building a new bacterial host that only survives when given specific supplements and that cannot pass its engineered genes to natural microbes. The team will rewrite parts of the bacteria's genetic code to create a strong biological firewall and add fail-safes that stop unwanted growth outside controlled settings. Work will include laboratory and animal-model tests to check stability, containment, and reliable long-term drug production. The goal is a bacterial platform suited for chronic drug delivery with much lower risk of gene leakage into the environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable long-term, targeted bacterial drug delivery for autoimmune diseases while greatly reducing the risk that engineered genes spread into the environment.
How similar studies have gone: There have been promising preclinical examples of engineered bacteria delivering medicines, but strong gene-containment strategies like this are newer and remain unproven in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Medical School
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nyerges, Akos — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Nyerges, Akos
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.