Why some carbapenem-resistant bacteria stop responding to the antibiotic cefiderocol
Official title: Mechanisms of cefiderocol nonsusceptibility and resistance evolution in carbapenem-resistant pathogens
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11459867 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how carbapenem-resistant bacteria develop resistance to the antibiotic cefiderocol to help people with hard-to-treat infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $739,974 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AI175440-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11459867 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales or carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter who can provide bacterial samples or are treated at participating hospitals would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without carbapenem-resistant infections or those whose infections are already controlled by other effective antibiotics are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, scientists will study bacteria collected from infections to see how they respond to cefiderocol and whether small subgroups can survive treatment (heteroresistance). They will grow bacterial samples in the lab, measure antibiotic susceptibilities, and read the bacteria's genetic code to find changes linked to reduced drug response. The team will also perform experiments that mimic treatment to watch how resistance can emerge and spread over time. Findings will be used to explain unexpected treatment failures and guide better use of cefiderocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors choose antibiotics more wisely and reduce unexpected treatment failures by revealing how cefiderocol resistance arises.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory studies have previously uncovered resistance mechanisms and heteroresistance for other antibiotics, and while cefiderocol is FDA-approved, reports of non-susceptible isolates mean this specific area is relatively new and important to study.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, En — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Huang, En
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.