From left: Prof Ruth Massey and Prof Rachel McLoughlin. Image: Paul Sharp
Known as the Wellcome Trust Discovery Award, the prestigious grant has been awarded to a team led by Prof Ruth Massey that will help in the treatment of future infections.
A team of researchers in Ireland and the UK has been granted a prestigious €5.3m award to investigate the cause behind bloodstream infections.
Led by Prof Ruth Massey of APC Microbiome Ireland, a Science Foundation Ireland research centre based in University College Cork (UCC), the team will examine how a specific bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus causes damage to human tissue and evades the immune system.
Staphylococcus aureus, simply known as S aureus, is the leading global cause of fatal bloodstream infections, especially its strains that show antimicrobial resistance.
“We are locked in a battle in the dark against S aureus bloodstream infections, where the bacteria currently have the upper hand, as we do not understand what is going on during the development of the infection” explained Massey, who is the principal investigator at APC.
“We believe that alongside other patient and bacterial factors, the role of the microbiome, with respect to both the presence of the bacteria with the microbiome, and how the microbiome trains our immune system to respond to infections will be key to tackling this major global clinical problem.
“This funding will allow us to shine a light on this poorly understood problem with a view to developing strategies and new therapies to reduce infection rates and patient suffering.”
Known as the Wellcome Trust Discovery Award, the prestigious grant has been award to a team led by Massey and consisting of Prof Rachel McLoughlin of Trinity College Dublin, Prof Mario Recker of University of Exeter, as well as researchers at the University of Bristol.
Wellcome Trust Discovery Award of €5.3 million to investigate leading global cause of fatal bloodstream infection granted to APC & @UCC @ProfRuthMassey along with @McLoughlin_Lab – @tcdTBSI and researchers from @UniofExeterSE & @bristoluni
Read More: https://t.co/fFsMXOrZv3 pic.twitter.com/N8pCYzxKJD
— APC Microbiome Ireland (@Pharmabiotic) February 20, 2024
The team’s varied experiences and expertise will help in building a detailed description of the key bacteria-host interactions and processes that control the establishment and severity of S aureus bloodstream infection.
The objective is to identify key intervention points that will inform treatment guidelines and ultimately reduce the burden of S aureus infection for patients and healthcare settings.
McLoughlin said the study has the potential to be a “game-changer” for infectious disease research because it represents the first attempt to build a fully integrated model of an infectious disease incorporating the host, the pathogen and the treatment.
“This project will provide an entirely new understanding of how the notorious pathogen S aureus causes disease. In doing so it will lead us to identify biomarkers for rapid patient risk stratification in clinical settings and identify new avenues for therapeutic development – ultimately, improving patient care and relieving the burden of this disease on a global level.”
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