# Nucleic Acids and Pneumococcal Extracellular Vesicles: the Who, How and Why?

> **NIH NIH R21** · CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $203,084

## Abstract

Project Summary
There is a critical need to develop therapies targeting Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn): a major human
pathogen contributing to global morbidity and mortality. Bacterial communication is a critical contributor to
virulence, and we propose that bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) contribute to communication across bacteria
as well as between bacteria and the mammalian host, and in doing so, contribute to pathogenesis and serve as
therapeutic targets. This proposal is based on preliminary results that demonstrate not only that viable Spn
produce EVs (pEVs), but also that these pEVs are associated with DNA and RNA. Our hypothesis is that the
nucleic acids on pEVs are delivered to other bacteria, and that uptake of pEV RNA by bacterial cells promotes
changes in gene expression and subsequent changes in phenotypes. Conclusion of this proposal will reveal the
molecules tethering nucleic acids to pEVs, uncover the sequence and localization of pEV-bound RNA, and test
whether and how internalization of EVs, and RNA on pEVs, modifies the transcriptional profile of the recipient
bacterial cells. This work will set the stage for future studies focused on the role of pEV-nucleic acids in driving
infection-associated phenotypes and host immunity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10999659
- **Project number:** 1R21AI182784-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Natalia Luisa Hiller
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $203,084
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-07 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10999659

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10999659, Nucleic Acids and Pneumococcal Extracellular Vesicles: the Who, How and Why? (1R21AI182784-01A1). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/10999659. Licensed CC0.

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