Understanding how tuberculosis bacteria resist medicines
Official title: A systems analysis of drug tolerance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Funded at Institute for Systems Biology · NIH-11129781 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to find new drug combinations that can quickly and completely get rid of tuberculosis bacteria, helping to prevent drug resistance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Institute for Systems Biology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2016 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $841,703 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI128215-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11129781 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with tuberculosis who are struggling with current treatments or are at risk of drug-resistant infections might benefit from future therapies developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without tuberculosis or those whose infections are easily cleared by existing treatments may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Tuberculosis bacteria can change to resist medicines, making them hard to treat and increasing the risk of drug resistance. Our scientists are working to understand how these bacteria become tolerant to drugs, even before treatment starts. We are developing new tools to study how the bacteria behave in different environments, including inside host cells. The goal is to identify their weak spots and create smarter drug combinations that can overcome their defenses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more effective and faster treatments for tuberculosis, reducing the chance of drug resistance.
How similar studies have gone: This project builds on previous successes in developing technologies to understand bacterial drug tolerance and rationally design drug combinations.
Where this research is happening
-
Institute for Systems Biology
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baliga, Nitin S — Institute for Systems Biology
- Study coordinator: Baliga, Nitin S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Coronary disease and immune activation in people with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection
This research looks at how having HIV and latent tuberculosis together might raise the risk of heart disease, and what immune changes are involved.
-
Pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce breathing problems after tuberculosis
A program of guided exercise and breathing training to help adults who have recovered from TB breathe better and feel healthier.
-
Pulmonary rehab to reduce breathing troubles after TB
A program of pulmonary rehabilitation is being studied to help adults who have completed TB treatment avoid ongoing lung problems and improve daily breathing.
-
Air pollution and tuberculosis spread in Kampala, Uganda
This project looks at whether dirty air from PM2.5 particles makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within urban slum households in Kampala, Uganda.
-
Air pollution and TB spread in Ugandan urban slums
This project explores whether exposure to air pollution makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within households in a crowded Ugandan slum.
-
Air pollution and TB transmission in Kampala’s urban slums
This project looks at whether air pollution from PM2.5 makes tuberculosis spread more easily from infected people to their neighbors in urban slums of Kampala, Uganda.
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.