Targeting H. pylori's sugar coating to find better treatments
Official title: Deciphering Helicobacter pylori's glycocode: uncovering and harnessing drug targets
Funded at Bowdoin College · NIH-11288895 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing chemical tools that map and block the sugar coatings H. pylori uses to stick to and survive in the stomach to help people with H. pylori infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Bowdoin College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brunswick, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2015 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $482,549 |
| NIH project number | 9R15AI197224-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11288895 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with confirmed H. pylori infection who are willing to provide bacterial or stomach biopsy samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
People without H. pylori infection or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this lab-focused work.
What this research studies
This lab uses specially designed sugar molecules and chemical probes to label and interfere with the sugars on the surface of the stomach bacterium H. pylori. By tagging these sugars they can see how H. pylori sticks to stomach cells and which bacterial or human proteins are involved. They will also test molecules that block sugar production or create permanent links to nearby proteins to disrupt bacterial survival. The work is done in lab dishes and with bacterial samples and could guide future, more targeted antibiotic strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to antibiotics that specifically target H. pylori while sparing beneficial gut bacteria, reducing side effects and treatment failure.
How similar studies have gone: Related preclinical work using metabolic labeling of bacterial sugars has revealed surface structures and candidate targets, but converting these findings into human treatments is still unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dube, Danielle H. — Bowdoin College
- Study coordinator: Dube, Danielle H.
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.