Mohammad Al-bataineh
University of Pittsburgh, PA·Microbiology & Immunology
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections. More than 60% of women get at least one, and over 30% face another within six months.
- Fields
Microbiology & Immunology
Medicine & Clinical Research
Physiology
- Topics
urinary tract infection
recurrent UTI
uropathogenic Escherichia coli
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Apr 2029
What they work on
- Characterize how uropathogenic E. coli binds MUC1, a sugar-coated protein on urinary tract cells. Use purified MUC1 and cells with different MUC1 levels and sugar patterns to test whether it acts as a docking receptor or a decoy.
- Determine whether UPEC binding to MUC1 increases or limits infection. Use experimental UTI in mice lacking MUC1 in the bladder, the kidney or the whole body, compared with normal littermates.
- Test whether bladder and kidney lining cells respond to UPEC challenge in a MUC1-dependent way. Use cultured cells and the MUC1-deficient mouse models.
- Dissect MUC1-driven signaling and gene activity after UPEC infection. Separate the roles of the outer extracellular domain and the inner signaling domain.
More about the research
Most are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), strains of E. coli adapted to the urinary tract. Antibiotics are the usual treatment, but rising drug resistance and repeat infections show they are not enough. A better grasp of how the bladder and kidney defend themselves could point to treatments that rely less on antibiotics.
Why it matters
UTIs are very common and often recur, and antibiotic resistance is making them harder to treat. Learning how MUC1 helps the bladder and kidney fight E. coli could reveal new treatment targets. These could lead to therapies that spare antibiotics, help women and others with UTIs, and prevent infections from coming back.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Nicole Gilbert
Washington University in St Louis, MO·Microbiology & Immunology
Optimize the design and fabrication of 3D-bioprinted catheter tubing that carries live Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a probiotic strain, for long-lasting release of bacteria, lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide.
Scott J. Hultgren
Washington University in St Louis, MO·Microbiology & Immunology
Determine how shape changes in bacterial adhesins control attachment, comparing FimH of uropathogenic E. coli and Klebsiella, the pectin-binding YehD and the fibrinogen-binding Abp2D of Acinetobacter using structural biology, molecular dynamics and biochemistry.
Allyson Shea
University of South Alabama, AL·Microbiology & Immunology
Test whether bacterial urinary tract infection triggers amyloid-beta to accumulate in the kidney, and whether this tracks with bacterial burden, using a mouse UTI model.
The school
University of Pittsburgh: 83 labs on PI Pages, $1.5B a year on research, 403 research doctorates a year.
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