Clinical Research Directory

Pathobiomes in Gut of Critically Ill Patients

Despite powerful antibiotics, 50% of the intestinal tracts of critically ill surgical patients are colonized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whose mere presence in this site increases mortality fourfold by mechanisms that remain unknown. Many patients who survive the initial surgical trauma still succumb to multi-organ failure and septicemia secondary to an invasive nosocomial infection. The sequelae of shock, hypoxia, and parental nutrition result in injury to the intestinal mucosa, changes in gut permeability, and failure of intestinal defense mechanisms. These conditions put patients at risk for infection and multiple organ failure secondary to the translocation of enteric bacteria, initiating a systemic release of inflammatory mediators-a process that has been termed gut-derived sepsis. Intestinal P. aeruginosa senses host factors released during stress and responds by activating its virulence gene machinery. As such, the presence of a highly activating intestinal milieu serves to induce virulence in strains of P. aeruginosa and this correlates to the severity of a patient's illness. While the host-pathogen interaction is a dynamic process, the study expects that as a patient's illness worsens or resolves over time, the "virulence-activating" properties of their intestinal milieu will change accordingly. This study will conduct a prospective observational trial in a population of critically ill patients at the Universtiy of Chicago Medical Center. This trial will entail collecting and screening stool samples obtained from critically ill patients for their virulence inducing capabilities on laboratory strains of P. aeruginosa using in vitro and in vivo assays. The study also plans to isolate strains of intestinal P. aeruginosa from stool samples to determine the prevalence of intestinal P. aeruginosa in a population of critically ill patients.

A Double-Blind, Active-Controlled, Multiple-Ascending Dose Study of Aerosolized RSP-1502 in Subjects With CF and Chronic PA Lung Infection

A double-blind, active-controlled, multiple-ascending dose, safety study of aerosolized RSP-1502 in subjects with cystic fibrosis Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection.

Isolation of Human Recombinant Therapeutic Monoclonal Anti-Pseudomonas Antibodies

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogenic bacteria for human, especially in hospital settings. It can sometimes be multi-resistant to many or even to all antibiotics usually used for its treatment. The aim of the study is to isolate and produce therapeutic antibodies against the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa in order to provide an alternative treatment to antibiotics in case of infection with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

PMT for MDRO Decolonization

This is a randomized, open label, comparative Phase II trial being conducted to determine whether fecal microbiota transplant using Penn Microbiome Therapy (PMT) products helps standard therapy eradicate antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Monotherapy vs Combination Therapy for Bone Infections Caused by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

This study looks at how well one antibiotic (monotherapy) works compared to two antibiotics (combination therapy) in treating bone infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It includes 300 adult patients who had this type of infection confirmed by lab tests and medical imaging. The goal is to find out if using just one antibiotic is as effective as using two, while also looking at side effects, the need for more surgery, antibiotic resistance, and overall antibiotic use.

Antimicrobial Therapy for Difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

The primary objective of the ADDICT study is to assess and compare the clinical efficacy of available options for antimicrobial therapy (new beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, cefiderocol or older agents such as aminoglycosides and colistin) in unselected patients with infection due to difficult-to-treat P. aeruginosa.