Understanding how the body fights spotted fever rickettsioses to speed up diagnosis
Official title: Investigation of human immune responses in acute rickettsioses: towards development of host response-based diagnostics
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11572343 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to map human immune responses to tick-borne SFGR infections to create faster, blood-based tests that help doctors diagnose and treat patients early.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $807,481 |
| NIH project number | 1R56AI198354-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11572343 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients presenting with febrile illness in SFGR-endemic areas where tick-borne rickettsioses are suspected.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without SFGR or those not contributing blood samples may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project will study how people’s immune systems respond to SFGR infections in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and the United States to find consistent host signals. Researchers will collect blood samples from patients with suspected SFGR and analyze gene and protein patterns to identify diagnostic biomarkers. The work includes comparing immune responses across locations with different strains of SFGR to find universally useful molecular clues. Findings could lead to new, rapid blood tests that guide early antibiotic treatment and reduce illness severity. The study is conducted in hospital settings with real patients and aims to translate immune data into practical diagnostics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with SFGR could receive faster and more accurate diagnoses leading to timely treatment and fewer complications.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown host immune signatures can reflect infection, but applying this to SFGR across multiple regions is a novel step with potential for strong diagnostic impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rubach, Matthew P — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Rubach, Matthew P
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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.