# Initial Attachment of Bacteria to Mucus Strands in Cystic Fibrosis

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2020 · $159,862

## Abstract

Project Summary
Research Aims: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a common lethal genetic disease that causes chronic bacterial
infections and respiratory failure. Irreversible changes in airway structure and function occur in children with CF
following infections with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our long-term goal is to
discover how these pathogens establish infection in the CF airway and to develop treatments to improve
bacterial clearance. The CF pig model provides an unprecedented opportunity to visualize these early events
in CF lung disease. The immediate focus of this project is to localize where S. aureus and P. aeruginosa attach
in the uninfected CF pig airway. This information will help determine whether the site of bacterial attachment
predicts whether bacteria are subsequently cleared or retained. Preliminary studies reveal that both S. aureus
and P. aeruginosa bind to mucus derived from submucosal glands. In CF pigs, the detachment of mucus is
impaired following methacholine treatment, and bacteria that bind to this mucus are retained. We will apply
these methods to determine (1) which mucins are the preferred binding targets for S. aureus and P.
aeruginosa, (2) whether environmental conditions associated with CF such as low bicarbonate or low pH favor
binding or release of bacteria from mucus, and (3) whether mucolytic drugs such as dithiothreitol or DNase can
promote clearance of mucus that binds bacteria.
Candidate Career Goals: My long-term career goal is to develop as an independent physician-scientist
focused on early infectious events in CF. The K08 award will provide protected time for research and advanced
training necessary to complete my research plan. Dr. Michael Welsh will provide scientific and career
mentorship. Together, we have designed a structured program of career development that builds upon my
existing experiences in pulmonology and airway biology. This will include scholarly oversight by an established
group of CF researchers, specific scientific meetings and coursework in bacterial pathogenesis, and focused
training in scientific communication to optimize my opportunity for future research success.
Environment: This research will be conducted in the Lung Biology and Cystic Fibrosis Center at the University
of Iowa, which is internationally recognized for its contributions to the study of CF pathogenesis. The
investigators and resources in this center have enabled many important discoveries relevant to CF
pathogenesis, including recent discoveries about abnormalities of airway mucus that occur at birth in CF pigs.
The Lung Biology and Cystic Fibrosis Center has an excellent record of training successful physician-
scientists, making it an optimal environment for these studies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9957114
- **Project number:** 5K08HL136927-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Anthony John Fischer
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $159,862
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9957114

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9957114, Initial Attachment of Bacteria to Mucus Strands in Cystic Fibrosis (5K08HL136927-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9957114. Licensed CC0.

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