Understanding Defensins in Urinary Tract Infections and Pain
Official title: Genetic dissection of defensin signaling in urinary tract infections
Funded at University of Texas Dallas · NIH-11140990 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores how natural defense proteins called defensins affect urinary tract infections and related pain, aiming to find better ways to help patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project start | July 22, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $585,731 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK140039-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140990 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients who experience recurrent urinary tract infections or significant pelvic pain associated with UTIs could potentially benefit from future therapies developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without urinary tract infections or related pelvic pain would not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common problem, especially for elderly women, and current antibiotics don't always work well. We need new treatments that target how the body fights off these infections. This project uses a special mouse model to understand the role of natural defense proteins, called defensins, in fighting UTIs. We believe defensins are important for immunity but might also contribute to the pelvic pain often experienced with UTIs. By studying these proteins and how they work, we hope to uncover new ways to treat UTIs and manage the associated discomfort.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new immune-based treatments for urinary tract infections and better ways to manage the pelvic pain they cause.
How similar studies have gone: While the role of defensins in skin immunity has been established, this project applies unique genetic tools to study defensins and their receptors in the urinary tract, which is a novel focus for this specific approach.
Where this research is happening
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University of Texas Dallas
Richardson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dong, Xintong — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Dong, Xintong
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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New ways to stop urinary tract infections by blocking bacterial adhesion
A study to test new methods that prevent bacteria from sticking to urinary tract tissues and devices, potentially stopping infections before they start.
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Hybridization capture sequencing to quickly identify canine urinary pathogens and resistance genes
A new sequencing approach directly from dog urine aims to rapidly identify bacteria causing urinary infections and their drug-resistance profiles to guide treatment.
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Enterococcal Proteases and CAUTI: How the body’s environment activates bacteria to cause infections
A small grant is exploring how two enzymes from Enterococcus faecalis interact with the urine environment to drive catheter-associated urinary tract infections and why these infections are hard to treat.
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Daily nitrofurantoin with or without bladder cauterization to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women
This study tests two approaches to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women: taking a low-dose antibiotic every day versus adding a bladder cauterization procedure plus the same daily antibiotic.
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New bacterial pathway that helps cause bladder infections
Researchers are exploring how bacteria steal nutrients in the bladder and how the body fights them to help people with urinary tract infections.
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New oral antifungal for tough Candida UTIs
A Johns Hopkins team is testing a new oral antifungal medicine called fungerps to treat urinary tract infections caused by azole-resistant Candida fungi.
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.