Understanding how stomach-like acidity inside immune trash cans affects their movement
Official title: Elucidating the role of luminal pH in regulating phagosome transport
Funded at University of Michigan at Dearborn · NIH-11378509 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to learn how the acidic environment inside phagosomes influences how these immune compartments move and mature to kill bacteria and fungi.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Dearborn NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dearborn, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $156,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM153701-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11378509 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with infections where macrophages and phagosomes are important, or individuals whose immune cells can be studied in research settings.
✕Less likely to help
People not able to participate in cellular studies or lacking access to participating sites may not receive direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project studies how the acidity inside phagosomes—the little compartments that swallow and digest microbes—affects their transport along the cell’s skeleton. By focusing on the role of luminal pH and the sodium proton exchanger NHE9, researchers will explore how pH changes influence motor protein activity and phagosome maturation. The work will use human immune cells and related cell systems to uncover mechanisms that pathogens exploit to survive in acidic phagosomes, with the goal of informing new strategies to boost microbial killing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to new approaches to enhance the body's ability to clear infections that highjack phagosomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work identified NHE9 as a regulator of phagosomal pH and transport, suggesting this approach may reveal actionable mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Dearborn
Dearborn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kondapalli, Kalyan C — University of Michigan at Dearborn
- Study coordinator: Kondapalli, Kalyan C
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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.