# METABOLIC ALDEHYDES AS IMMUNE EFFECTORS AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2021 · $813,454

## Abstract

This proposal will test the hypothesis that host-derived aldehydes are a critical component of host immunity
against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We will use bacterial and mouse genetics, biochemistry, immunology and
cell biology experiments to test this hypothesis. We will identify bacterial mutants that are either more resistant
or more sensitive than parental strains to various aldehydes in combination with nitric oxide, which appears to
strongly synergize with several different aldehydes to kill bacteria. The isolation of these bacterial strains will
allow us to test whether or not these pathways contribute to bacterial survival in mice. We will also investigate
various host pathways from aerobic glycolysis to aldehyde dehydrogenase activity to assess the contribution of
aldehyde products of these pathways in bacterial infection control. The outcome of our studies may ultimately
help promote a clinical trial repurposing an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of tuberculosis and possibly
other diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10172843
- **Project number:** 5R01AI153197-02
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Katerina Heran Darwin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $813,454
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10172843

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10172843, METABOLIC ALDEHYDES AS IMMUNE EFFECTORS AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS (5R01AI153197-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10172843. Licensed CC0.

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