Michael Jurczak, PhD, Receives NIAID R56

The UPMC Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism is pleased to announce that Michael Jurczak, PhD, has been awarded a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease R56 grant in collaboration with Shihui Liu, MD, PhD, from the University of Pittsburgh Aging Institute. The grant is titled “Molecular mechanisms and novel biological-based therapies for anthrax lethal toxin-induced mortality."

The goal of the project is to discover the molecular mechanisms that underlie anthrax lethal toxin-induce lethality and to develop potential targeted therapies for infected patients who have progressed to a clinical state usually considered as a “point of no return” in the disease process. Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax disease and remains a top bioterrorism concern. Bacillus anthracis infected patients present with non-specific flu like symptoms and generally do not seek medical attention until the middle or late stages of infection, a point at which cellular and tissue damage due to anthrax lethal toxin cannot be addressed by current therapies.

Dr. Jurczak will serve as Co-Investigator and provide support regarding studies related to changes in metabolism in response to infection and interventional approaches.