Shorter all-oral treatments for Mycobacterium abscessus lung infections
Official title: Shorter and more effective oral regimens for M. abscessus pulmonary disease
Funded at Hackensack University Medical Center · NIH-11261782 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Developing shorter, all-oral drug combinations to better cure Mycobacterium abscessus lung infections and reduce treatment time and side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hackensack University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hackensack, United States) |
| Project start | January 21, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $856,988 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI184502-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11261782 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with confirmed Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease, especially those who have failed or cannot tolerate current long, partly injectable regimens, are the likely candidates for future trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non–M. abscessus infections (for example other NTM species), or those needing immediate intensive inpatient care, may not benefit from these oral regimens.
What this research studies
Researchers will build treatment combinations made entirely of oral drugs, prioritizing fast-killing antibiotics to quickly lower bacterial levels in the lungs. They will screen commonly used and new antibiotic candidates to make sure they work together without blocking the killers. Promising regimens will be tested in lab experiments and a mouse model of M. abscessus lung infection to pick the best options. The goal is to move the best oral combinations toward clinical testing so patients can avoid long, injectable-heavy therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could shorten treatment courses, avoid intravenous antibiotics, and improve cure rates with fewer side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Existing treatments for M. abscessus have had limited success and cures are uncommon, so creating sterilizing all-oral regimens is a relatively new and much-needed approach that builds on antibiotic-combination experience.
Where this research is happening
-
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dick, Thomas — Hackensack University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Dick, Thomas
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Ethics-aware Multimodal AI for COPD prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
A broad AI model uses diverse health data to help predict and manage COPD in people, with an emphasis on ethics and fairness.
-
New regimens to treat MAC lung disease in people with lung problems or weak immune systems
A study from Johns Hopkins aims to test new drug combinations to treat MAC lung disease in people with damaged lungs or weakened immune systems.
-
Positive airway pressure therapy for older veterans with COPD and sleep apnea overlap
A plan to see if using a CPAP/BAP therapy improves sleep, thinking, and quality of life for older veterans who have both COPD and sleep apnea.
-
Understanding how microbes and our bodies shape HIV-related COPD in LMICs
This project looks at how interactions between the human body and microbes may influence COPD in people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries.
-
Anti-EMAP II antibody as a first-in-class treatment for COPD-related pulmonary hypertension
A first-in-class antibody treatment is being developed to help people with COPD-related pulmonary hypertension by blocking EMAP II, a molecule involved in lung injury and inflammation.
-
Non-coding RNA and COPD: how RNA structure changes with disease
A COPD research project explores how non-coding RNA structures in adults with COPD change due to genetic differences and how this affects gene activity.
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.