Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
Research
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) funds laboratory research and clinical trials to address the problem of antimicrobial resistance. NIAID-funded research aims to develop better diagnostics, treatments, and new vaccines that are effective against emerging infectious agents, such as VRE.
NIAID grantees are studying the problem of antibiotic resistance among common bacteria responsible for VRE infections. These projects include
- Efforts to develop new vancomycin-based therapeutics to combat VRE and possibly other bacterial infections
- Studying the spread of E. faecalis to determine how the bacterium shares and acquires genes that alter its characteristics
Similar studies funded by other components of the National Institutes of Health are under way at various U.S. medical institutions.