Understanding how the immune system fights C. difficile to prevent recurrence
Official title: Project 3: Defining adaptive immune interactions that shape Clostridioides difficile infection
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11498687 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new NIH grant is studying how the body’s own immune response to C. difficile infection might be boosted to prevent future outbreaks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $460,038 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI174998-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11498687 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals who have had a C. difficile infection and may be at risk of recurrence, or who are contributing patient samples for immune studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not contributing samples or not within the study’s immune-focused scope may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will look at how antibodies from the bloodstream and the gut lining recognize C. difficile and its toxins, and how these responses differ between people who recover and those who experience recurrence. Researchers will use patient samples together with a mouse infection model to map which immune components are most protective. The goal is to identify immune features that correlate with lasting protection and inform future vaccine design. The work focuses on understanding natural immunity to inform better prevention strategies for high-risk patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could guide development of vaccines or therapies that enhance lasting immunity to prevent recurrent C. difficile infections.
How similar studies have gone: Previous vaccine trials elicited antibody responses but did not reduce recurrence, highlighting the need to understand immunity more deeply; this project adds a mechanistic, human-sample approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abt, Michael C. — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Abt, Michael C.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Impact of gut bile acids on C. difficile infection in inflammatory bowel disease
This grant tests whether changes in gut microbes and their bile acids influence how likely people with inflammatory bowel disease are to get and how severe a C. difficile infection could be.
-
Role of gut bacteria in shaping C. difficile infection
Aims to map how the gut microbiome and its metabolic environment influence Clostridioides difficile infection in people and how we might prevent or treat it.
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Detailed genetic look at C. difficile and the gut microbiome in infection and relapse
Researchers will sequence C. difficile and gut bacteria from thousands of patient stool samples to find genetic and microbial patterns linked to severe or recurring infections.
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Multivalent vaccine to prevent C. difficile infection and recurrence
This project is developing a vaccine that teaches the immune system to neutralize C. difficile toxins and block the bacteria from coming back for people at risk of infection.
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Gut-targeted antibiotics for C. difficile infection
Developing gut-targeted antibiotics to kill C. difficile while keeping healthy gut bacteria for people with recurrent C. difficile infections.
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Technology-Driven Root-Cause Analysis and Clinical Enhancement for C. difficile Infections
A new digital platform uses hospital data to streamline how hospitals analyze and prevent hospital-acquired C. diff infections.
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.