Targeting how oxidative stress drives harmful cell death in TB infection
Official title: Targeting mediators of oxidative stress to limit hyperinflammatory cell death modalities during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11319886 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests a new approach to reduce deadly cell death patterns in people with tuberculosis, especially those who might also have HIV, by focusing on how oxidative stress influences immune cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | June 24, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $792,355 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI179037-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319886 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with tuberculosis who carry the relevant genetic factors and are at risk for severe disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without the specific genetic risk factors or with mild TB may not experience a direct benefit.
What this research studies
Tuberculosis varies a lot in how it affects people, and severe disease is linked to inflammatory cell death. The project looks at a human genetic variant that may push infected macrophages toward a damaging, inflammatory death pathway. Researchers will study how oxidative stress and specific mitochondrial genes influence this process and test potential ways to limit harmful necroptosis during infection. The aim is to identify targets that could reduce severe TB outcomes in patients who carry these genetic factors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies that lessen inflammation and tissue damage during TB, helping patients recover faster and with fewer complications.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked macrophage death pathways to TB outcomes, with targeted approaches showing promise in preclinical models.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Watson, Robert Owen — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Watson, Robert Owen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Investigating how oxidative stress affects cell death during tuberculosis infection
This study is looking at how different ways cells die can affect how severe tuberculosis infections get, and it hopes to find out why some people are more likely to get really sick from it, which could help improve treatments for patients with tuberculosis.
-
Coronary disease and immune activation in people with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection
This research looks at how having HIV and latent tuberculosis together might raise the risk of heart disease, and what immune changes are involved.
-
Pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce breathing problems after tuberculosis
A program of guided exercise and breathing training to help adults who have recovered from TB breathe better and feel healthier.
-
Pulmonary rehab to reduce breathing troubles after TB
A program of pulmonary rehabilitation is being studied to help adults who have completed TB treatment avoid ongoing lung problems and improve daily breathing.
-
Air pollution and tuberculosis spread in Kampala, Uganda
This project looks at whether dirty air from PM2.5 particles makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within urban slum households in Kampala, Uganda.
-
Air pollution and TB spread in Ugandan urban slums
This project explores whether exposure to air pollution makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within households in a crowded Ugandan slum.
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.