Stopping the deadly effects of anthrax toxin with targeted therapies
Mechanisms of anthrax lethal toxin-induced mortality and the novel biological-based targeted therapies
This research looks for ways to protect people with severe anthrax by learning how the bacterium's lethal toxin damages cells and finding treatments that can fix that damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11253274 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study how the anthrax bacterium's lethal toxin harms cells at the molecular level so they can find where and why damage becomes irreversible. They will use laboratory cell models and animal models to map the toxin's actions and identify drug targets. The team will then test candidate therapies designed to protect or repair tissues after the toxin has entered cells. The goal is to develop treatments that could help patients who are already past the point where antibiotics and antitoxin antibodies alone can save them.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with systemic or inhalational anthrax, particularly those who have progressed beyond the early stages where antibiotics alone are effective, would be the eventual candidates for these therapies.
Not a fit: People without anthrax infection or those treated very early with standard antibiotics who recover would be unlikely to need or benefit from these targeted treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies that reduce deaths from severe anthrax by repairing or blocking toxin-induced cell and tissue damage even after infection is advanced.
How similar studies have performed: Existing treatments (antibiotics and anti-toxin antibodies) help eliminate the bacteria and neutralize circulating toxin, but therapies aimed at reversing intracellular toxin damage are largely novel and not yet proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Shihui — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Liu, Shihui
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.