Understanding how cell energy affects the body's fight against tuberculosis

One-carbon metabolism and immune cell function in tuberculosis

NIH-funded research Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11122251

This project looks at how the body's energy use in immune cells impacts its ability to fight tuberculosis.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionRutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11122251 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

The project explores how immune cells change their energy use when fighting tuberculosis (TB). Researchers have found that a specific energy process, called one-carbon metabolism, is very active in infected cells and lungs. This process helps cells make important building blocks and manage stress. By understanding how this energy pathway works, and specifically how an enzyme called MTHFD2 is involved, we hope to find new ways to help the body fight off TB infection.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but aims to understand the disease mechanisms relevant to adults with tuberculosis.

Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments would not directly benefit from this early-stage laboratory research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatment strategies that target the energy pathways of immune cells to better control tuberculosis.

How similar studies have performed: While the general concept of immunometabolism in TB is being explored, this specific focus on one-carbon metabolism and MTHFD2 represents a novel area of investigation.

Where this research is happening

Newark, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.