Understanding how Chlamydia divides to improve treatments
Official title: Regulation of Chlamydial Divisome Assembly
Funded at University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr · NIH-11357711 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how the sexually transmitted pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis divides inside human cells, using a unique division system to uncover new ways to stop infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | June 17, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $751,930 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI179688-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11357711 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals at risk for Chlamydia infections or with confirmed C. trachomatis infection could indirectly benefit from future therapies arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
The current study is focused on basic mechanisms in the bacterium and does not involve patients directly.
What this research studies
Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacteria that causes the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections. This project looks at how its cell division happens without the usual bacterial proteins, focusing on a hybrid system that blends divisome and elongasome components. By exploring how polarized budding occurs and how proteins like MreB, MreC, PBP2, FtsK, and XerCD interact during division, the study aims to map the regulatory steps that control replication and separation. Insights from this work could reveal novel targets for therapies that interrupt bacterial division inside human cells. The grant supports experiments using genetic and molecular biology tools to dissect these mechanisms in the organism’s native environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat Chlamydia infections by disrupting its unique cell-division process.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has begun to uncover non-traditional division machinery in Chlamydia, with potential for translation into targeted interventions, though this specific approach is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cox, John Vincent — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: Cox, John Vincent
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
EP2 blockers to protect the brain after a stroke
Aims to test brain-permeable EP2 antagonists to reduce damage after ischemic stroke and improve recovery.
-
HIV drugs may also stop a dangerous fungus from growing
A cancer/antifungal researcher is exploring whether HIV medicines can help treat cryptococcal infections in people with HIV/AIDS.
-
Profiling immune cells to find early inflammation clues in kids with obesity and insulin resistance
This project looks at how immune cells in children with obesity may show early inflammatory changes linked to insulin resistance.
-
Targeted inhibitors to block a key enzyme and fight metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
A new drug candidate aimed at a specific enzyme in cancer cells is being developed to stop the spread of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.
-
New fungal partner targets to curb Aspergillus infection in vulnerable patients
A NIH-funded project is exploring how the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus grows and causes serious infections in people with weakened immune systems, with the aim of finding new ways to stop it.
-
Epigenetic control of aging heart function
A scientist at a university is studying how aging changes heart function and whether a specific gene, KDM6A, influences this process to uncover ways to prevent or treat aging-related heart problems.
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.