Tuberculosis bacteria's use of vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Riboflavin Synthesis and Transport in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
This work looks at whether tuberculosis bacteria must make their own vitamin B2 during infection and whether blocking that process could help create better antibiotics for people with TB.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11237169 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have TB, researchers will use genetically modified tuberculosis bacteria that can be turned down for riboflavin production to see how vitamin B2 shortage affects bacterial growth and susceptibility to antibiotics. They will make a panel of bacterial strains with reduced riboflavin synthesis and look for bacterial riboflavin transport proteins. Experiments will include lab cultures and mouse infection models to learn whether TB can scavenge riboflavin from host tissues during different stages of infection. The results could point to drugs that block riboflavin production or uptake to weaken TB and make existing antibiotics work better.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with active pulmonary tuberculosis, including those with drug-resistant TB, are the types who could ultimately benefit or be candidates for therapies based on this work.
Not a fit: Patients with latent TB infection, unrelated lung diseases, or infections by non-tuberculous mycobacteria may not directly benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new drugs that target riboflavin synthesis or transport to shorten TB treatment and help overcome drug-resistant TB.
How similar studies have performed: Other research has shown that targeting essential M. tuberculosis metabolic pathways can work in animals, but specifically targeting riboflavin synthesis or transport is relatively novel and not yet proven in human trials.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tischler, Anna Degraff — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Tischler, Anna Degraff
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.