# Impact of mucin fermenting microbes on the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic rhinosinusitis

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2022 · $222,750

## Abstract

Title: Impact of mucin fermenting microbes on the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic
rhinosinusitis
Project Summary/Abstract
Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a chronic airway disease defined as persistent inflammation and infection of the
nasal and sinus mucosa. Microbes affect human health through interspecies interactions, with a broad
spectrum of outcomes - some beneficial, others pathogenic. Disruption of the stable microbiota in the sinuses
and pathogen overgrowth can lead to benign microbial communities becoming pro-inflammatory and invasive.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic, gram-negative bacterial species associated with severe,
recalcitrant CRS; CRS patients with P. aeruginosa correlate with poor symptom resolution and worse clinical
outcomes, leading to complications, such as orbital cellulitis and brain abscess, even in non-
immunocompromised individuals. Thus, identifying the mechanisms underlying the virulence of P. aeruginosa
in CRS progression is critical to developing new treatment strategies. Our aims are designed to test a
hypothesis that mucin-fermenting microbes promote the microbial virulence of P. aeruginosa, leading to the
progression of recalcitrant CRS.
(1) To evaluate whether enhanced P. aeruginosa virulence and CRS progression in vivo rely on mucin
fermentation by B. fragilis. We expect CRS rabbits inoculated with wild-type P. aeruginosa and wild-type B.
fragilis to exhibit the most severe CRS phenotype with marked tissue invasion and virulence-associated
gene/protein markers.
(2) To determine how mucin-fermenting microbes modulate P. aeruginosa tissue invasion and
antibiotic resistance in vitro. We expect to identify the critical actors in modulating antibiotic resistance and
invasion in human tissue.
We expect this proposal to answer fundamental questions regarding P. aeruginosa virulence in recalcitrant,
destructive CRS, which, in turn, can lead to develop new, effective treatment strategies for a disease that
exacts an enormous healthcare burden. The proposed experiments will also shed light on how interactions with
mucin-fermenting microbes influence other airway diseases associated with P. aeruginosa, such as malignant
otitis externa, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10430744
- **Project number:** 1R21AI168894-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Do-Yeon Cho
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $222,750
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-04-19 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10430744

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10430744, Impact of mucin fermenting microbes on the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic rhinosinusitis (1R21AI168894-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10430744. Licensed CC0.

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