Funded in the Leibniz Competition: “meta-CDI”
What makes the intestinal pathogen C. difficile so successful – and what new therapeutic approaches are there?
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What is it all about? The “meta-CDI” project in brief
The bacterium Clostridioides difficile is considered the main cause of antibiotic-associated intestinal inflammation. Most of them are mild, but serious or even life-threatening cases have become more frequent in recent years. The reasons for the pathogen’s success are still poorly understood. In preliminary work, researchers were able to show that C. difficile has the genetic potential to produce various antibiotics and toxins that could disrupt the intestinal flora. The “meta-CDI” project aims to uncover these previously overlooked substances and elucidate their role in microbial interactions in the gut using molecular biological and analytical chemical tools.
Why is this important? Problems that the project wants to solve
Infections with the bacterium C. difficile are associated with a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms, which can range from mild diarrhea to life-threatening conditions of the patient. A further complication is the recurrence of the disease in around a quarter of all patients. These recurrent intestinal infections increase the risk of repeated hospitalizations and place an enormous economic burden on the healthcare system. As recurrent infections are associated with antibiotic failure, fecal microbiota transplantation is increasingly used as an alternative therapy to restore the protective effect of the gut microbiota. However, as the severity of infections and mortality rates have increased, new approaches are urgently needed. The knowledge gained from the “meta-CDI” project should help to develop new approaches to curing the disease.
What are you most looking forward to at the start of the project? A question for the project leader
“I am delighted that we are able to make a contribution to learning more about the causes of this widespread disease as part of this Leibniz project and thus create the basis for new therapies.” – Prof. Dr. Christian Hertweck, Leibniz-HKI
Who is involved?
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
Background: The Leibniz Competition
The “meta-CDI” project is being funded in the Leibniz Competition for a period of three years. The competition supports the achievement of the Leibniz Association’s strategic goals as part of the Pact for Research and Innovation. The project approvals enable research at the highest level. The Leibniz Association is funding a total of 27 projects in the 2025 selection round.
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