Using antibodies to prevent and treat bladder infections
Official title: Harnessing Antibody Responses to Prevent and Treat Urinary Tract Infections
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11257271 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses antibody and vaccine-style approaches to help people—especially women—who get frequent urinary tract infections from E. coli.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | November 10, 2021 |
| Project end | October 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $622,331 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI165915-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11257271 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People most likely to benefit are those (especially women) with recurrent UTIs caused by uropathogenic E. coli who are interested in vaccine or antibody-based prevention or therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose infections are caused by bacteria other than E. coli, those with rare FimH-mutant strains, or people with noninfectious urinary problems are less likely to benefit.
What this research studies
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common and often come back, and this work focuses on immune approaches to stop those repeat infections. The team targets a bacterial protein called FimH that E. coli uses to stick to and invade the bladder, and they study antibody responses that block that step. Much of the work builds on animal and monkey models where FimH immunization prevented bladder infection, while the researchers characterize antibodies that could be used for prevention or treatment. The goal is to move toward immune-based options that reduce reliance on antibiotics and lower recurrent UTIs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could cut down recurrent UTIs, reduce the need for antibiotics, and lower antibiotic resistance risk.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies in mice and monkeys showed protection from bladder infection after FimH immunization, but effectiveness in humans has not yet been established.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kau, Andrew Leon — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Kau, Andrew Leon
Related research
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A small grant is exploring how two enzymes from Enterococcus faecalis interact with the urine environment to drive catheter-associated urinary tract infections and why these infections are hard to treat.
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This study tests two approaches to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women: taking a low-dose antibiotic every day versus adding a bladder cauterization procedure plus the same daily antibiotic.
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New bacterial pathway that helps cause bladder infections
Researchers are exploring how bacteria steal nutrients in the bladder and how the body fights them to help people with urinary tract infections.
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New oral antifungal for tough Candida UTIs
A Johns Hopkins team is testing a new oral antifungal medicine called fungerps to treat urinary tract infections caused by azole-resistant Candida fungi.
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.