Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) received a $437,541 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to develop and validate novel antisense therapeutics for treating Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The award, obligated on February 2, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2028, supports research into peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and other antisense oligomers designed to suppress essential genes and disarm virulence factors in C. difficile. The research team will investigate inhibition of critical pathways including transcription and translation machinery, protein translocation, cell division, replication, and fatty acid synthesis.

The project delivers preclinical research products and efficacy data through in vitro studies and murine models of CDI and recurrence, with toxicology assessments to establish safety profiles. The primary value proposition of this work lies in advancing precision-targeted therapeutics that selectively eliminate pathogenic C. difficile bacteria while preserving healthy human gut microbiota—a significant advantage over broad-spectrum antibiotic approaches that currently dominate CDI management. These research outputs are intended to accelerate the translation of antisense technology toward clinical development pathways for addressing antibiotic-resistant and recurrent CDI, a leading cause of nosocomial and antibiotic-associated infections.