UVA Researchers Awarded NIH Grant to Study the Role of the Microbiome in Combatting C. difficile Infections

Earlier this month, we received news that our co-director, William Petri Ph.D. (ID&IH), and a team of researchers here at UVA have been awarded an NIH R01 (R01 AI152477-01A1) grant. The team will study the mechanisms by which specific parts of our immune system control the our response to C. difficile infection. 

The team of scientists includes Ann Hays M.D. (GI), Jennie Ma Ph.D. (PHS), and Chelsea Marie Ph.D. (ID&IH).

The team will study the role of Th17 cells in increasing the severity of C. difficile infection, and how their interaction with innate lymphoid cells type 2 can protect from C. difficile infection. The goal is to further delineate how certain cytokines and chemokines, our immune system's messengers, contribute to mortality and relapse.

Cytokine IL-6 (Th17-differentiating) is associated with mortality and chemokine CCL5 (Th17-recruiting) is associated with C. difficile infection relapse. This work will create the building blocks to indentify potential immunotherapy use, in combination with antibiotics, to reduce the current crisis in C. difficile mortality and recurrence. 

In addition, this work aims to understand the ways in which the microbiome interacts with our immune systems and how these interactions can be used to treat and prevent C. difficile infection. As has been previously reported, Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) has a high success rate in treating and preventing reccurrent C. difficile infections - this study aims to understand how!

Check back in the future to see their published results!