Shorter, safer drug combinations for Mycobacterium avium lung disease
Official title: Short course combination regimens for treatment of Mycobacterium avium pulmonary disease: a translational bench-to-bedside approach
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Ctr at Tyler · NIH-11228407 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests new and repurposed antibiotic combinations to shorten and improve treatment for people with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Ctr at Tyler NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tyler, United States) |
| Project start | December 8, 2023 |
| Project end | October 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $566,148 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI179827-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11228407 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection, especially those starting therapy or with persistent positive sputum cultures, would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without MAC or with other non-NTM lung conditions, and those whose infections are resistant to the specific drugs studied, are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you have MAC lung disease, researchers are screening existing and new antibiotics in laboratory models to find combinations that kill the bacteria faster and work well together. They use pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data to choose drug doses and identify synergy or antagonism between drugs. Promising combinations from the lab work will be translated toward clinical regimens with the goal of much shorter courses than the current year-plus treatments. The team aims to prioritize safe, effective pairs or triplets of drugs that could move into patient testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce shorter treatment courses that raise cure rates and reduce side effects for people with MAC lung disease.
How similar studies have gone: While combination antibiotic strategies have improved outcomes in other infections, short-course, PK/PD-guided combination regimens for MAC are largely unproven and this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Ctr at Tyler
Tyler, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kant, Shashi — University of Texas Hlth Ctr at Tyler
- Study coordinator: Kant, Shashi
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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.