# Host-Directed Immunotherapy: A "One Health" Approach

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $620,473

## Abstract

Project Summary
The alarming rise of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria have outpaced the development of new antibiotics
capable of treating them. There is obvious concern over the transmission and spread of these resistant strains
within the human population, but there is now considerable evidence of their transmission from infected
animals to humans. The broad ramifications of this troubling public health scenario underscore the urgent
need for a new therapeutic strategy that extends beyond the use of conventional antibiotics and their
limitations in the face of rapid bacterial mutation that give rise to resistant strains. A particularly promising
therapeutic approach to provide this unmet need is mobilizing innate immune responses with a safe and
effective immune stimulatory molecule. Such “host-directed immunotherapy” not only will invoke the body's
inherent first line of defense against infection, but will also contribute few/no mutational pressures since this
therapy is not imposed directly on the bacteria in the manner of antibiotics. The potential of host-directed
immunotherapy against resistant bacterial and viral infections in mice has been demonstrated by the
administration of our lead immune stimulatory candidate EP67, a response selective decapeptide agonist of
the C5a receptor (C5aR/CD88) derived from the biologically active C-terminal region of human complement
component C5a (C5a65-74). Against this backdrop, the long-term goal is to establish EP67 (or an improved
analogue) as an FDA-approved therapeutic for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections via the safe and
effective induction of host innate immunity through the C5a/C5aR network on antigen presenting cells.
The principal objective of this R01 project, which is an important step toward this goal, is to move the lead
candidate EP67 (or analogue) along an IND-leading pathway that strengthens such designation by the FDA.
This objective will be approached by the following specific aims: 1) Down-select from our lead candidate EP67
by refining/enhancing the structure-function attributes of EP67 from a series of analogues with residue
substitutions for Pro at position 7; 2) Demonstrate therapeutic efficacy of EP67/analogue in inducing host-
innate immune responses against local and systemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
infections in the human-relevant porcine model; and 3) Initiate safety/toxicity/pharmacokinetic studies of
EP67/analogue in industry standard murine models. The team assembled for this project will bring the
technological, clinical, regulatory, and product development expertise necessary for an IND application and
sustainability through the FDA regulatory process leading to clinical trials. This will have a positive impact in
the field by bringing to the forefront the concept of host-directed immunotherapy as a safe and effective
strategy for treating antibiotic resistant infections within the therapeutic framework of “One Health”.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9959307
- **Project number:** 5R01AI125137-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** JOSEPH Anthoney VETRO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $620,473
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-07-07 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9959307

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9959307, Host-Directed Immunotherapy: A "One Health" Approach (5R01AI125137-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9959307. Licensed CC0.

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