Why antibiotics sometimes fail for people with diabetes and skin infections
Diabetes and Antibiotic Treatment Failure
Researchers are looking at how high sugar in diabetic wounds helps Staphylococcus aureus survive antibiotics and cause persistent infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11222688 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team uses mouse models that mimic diabetes and normal sugar levels and infects them with MRSA to mirror skin and soft tissue infections. They will measure how excess glucose changes bacterial metabolism, leads to acid buildup in the wound, and increases mutations that make antibiotics less effective. The researchers will also study how diabetes-related immune problems let tolerant or resistant bacteria hide in the body. Finally, they will follow bacteria through repeated infections in diabetic mice to see how tolerance and resistance evolve over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with diabetes who have recurrent or hard-to-treat skin and soft tissue infections, especially those caused by MRSA, would be most relevant to this research.
Not a fit: People without diabetes or those with non-bacterial wounds or infections caused by other microbes may not directly benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent antibiotic failure and reduce chronic or severe infections in people with diabetes.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory studies suggest high glucose can help bacteria tolerate antibiotics, but translating these findings into human treatments is still early and largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Conlon, Brian Patrick — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Conlon, Brian Patrick
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 below.