Understanding and improving how our bodies fight germs on the skin
Probing and engineering the B cell response to the skin microbiota
This project aims to create new types of vaccines that work better at protecting us right where infections start, like on our skin and other body surfaces.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159780 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies have amazing ways to fight off germs, especially through vaccines that teach our immune system to remember and quickly attack invaders. However, current vaccines often don't create strong protection directly on surfaces like our skin or inside our nose and mouth, where many infections begin. This project explores how the helpful germs already living on our skin teach our immune system to protect these areas without causing inflammation. By understanding this natural process, we hope to design new, needle-free vaccines that are more effective at preventing infections right where they start.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is for anyone interested in how our immune system interacts with the helpful bacteria on our skin and how new vaccine technologies could protect us from infections.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments or direct clinical trial participation will not find direct benefit from this early-stage laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new, easier-to-administer vaccines that provide stronger, localized protection against infections on body surfaces, potentially reducing disease transmission.
How similar studies have performed: While traditional vaccines are highly successful, this approach of leveraging the body's natural relationship with its own microbes for mucosal immunity is novel and largely untested in vaccine development.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bousbaine, Djenet — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Bousbaine, Djenet
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.