Signals that help Enterococcus faecalis survive antibiotics
Second Messenger Nucleotides of Enterococcus faecalis
Researchers are looking at small bacterial signaling molecules to understand why Enterococcus faecalis survives in hospitals and resists antibiotics, aiming to help people with these infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11286616 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, scientists will study how tiny chemical messengers inside Enterococcus faecalis control its stress responses, ability to cause disease, and resistance to antibiotics. They will focus on two signaling nucleotides, (p)ppGpp and c-di-AMP, and how these systems interact. Experiments will be done in the lab using bacterial cultures and related infection models to see how changing these signals affects drug sensitivity and immune activation. The work aims to reveal targets that could make antibiotics work better or reduce the bacteria's ability to harm people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have or are at risk for Enterococcus faecalis infections, especially hospital-acquired or antibiotic-resistant infections, are the eventual beneficiaries of this research.
Not a fit: Patients with unrelated conditions or healthy volunteers are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical, lab-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to boost antibiotic effectiveness or reduce the harm caused by drug-resistant Enterococcus infections.
How similar studies have performed: Related studies in other bacteria show that changing (p)ppGpp or c-di-AMP levels can alter antibiotic sensitivity and virulence, but their interaction in E. faecalis is not yet well understood.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lemos, Jose a — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Lemos, Jose a
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 below.