# Bacterial Determinants of Tuberculosis Susceptibiliy

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · 2021 · $418,838

## Abstract

Project 2: Bacterial Determinants of Susceptibility
Abstract:
The outcome of tuberculosis infection varies tremendously between individuals; most people show no signs of
disease but some people will develop progressive disease. These differences in outcome seem to arise both
because of differences between people but also because of differences between the strains of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis with which they are infected. Indeed, human genetic differences seem to interact with bacterial
differences such that the same bacterium may be able to cause disease in one host but not another and
similarly, one person may be susceptible to a given bacterium but not another. In this project, we seek to
understand this intersection of bacterial features with host genetics, which we term “host-pathogen
preference”. In Aim 1, we will define the bacterial factors that influence host-pathogen preference by testing
the growth of a very large number of M. tuberculosis strains in a panel of mice bred to be highly diverse (the
CC mice). We will identify bacterial and host genetic markers for interactions that are very likely to cause
disease and will test the ability of these markers to predict human disease. Aim 2, we will determine the
mechanisms by which some bacterial strains are more virulent than others. Finally, in Aim 3, we will test the
hypothesis that BCG vaccination protects against infection with some M. tuberculosis strains but not others.
These studies will also allow us to develop experimental models of M. tuberculosis infection that reflect the
diversity of bacteria that humans face and provide an avenue for more successful vaccine and therapeutic
testing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10219088
- **Project number:** 5P01AI132130-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** SARAH FORTUNE
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $418,838
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-05 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10219088

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10219088, Bacterial Determinants of Tuberculosis Susceptibiliy (5P01AI132130-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10219088. Licensed CC0.

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