Publications

There is considerable concern within the nephrology community about recent federal budget cuts and the decreasing availability of funds for research. This is especially difficult for junior investigators who are about to start a career as physician-scientists. Accordingly, it is imperative that resources other than federal funds be made available to these individuals during this most delicate yet crucial transition period. This commentary aims to provide an overview of nonfederal funding resources, focusing on the Norman S. Coplon Extramural Grant Program. This program emphasizes support of investigators at the most fragile period in their development of an academic career; it has provided >$11 million of research funds to more than 80 individuals since 2000. The outcome has been stellar, with more than 130 publications originating from these projects and >90% of awardees staying in academia. We hope these accomplishments will encourage similar activities by other entities and scientific programs in addition to ones that are ongoing. Ultimately, these collective efforts will inspire young researchers to use their knowledge, passion, and dedication to advance research into kidney diseases.

BACKGROUND

Several cohort studies have indicated associations between S. pneumoniae and other microbes in the nasopharynx. To study causal relationships between the nasopharyngeal microbiome and pneumococcal carriage, we employed an experimental human pneumococcal carriage model. Healthy adult volunteers were assessed for pneumococcal carriage by culture of nasal wash samples (NWS). Those without natural pneumococcal carriage received an intranasal pneumococcal inoculation with serotype 6B or 23F. The composition of the nasopharyngeal microbiome was longitudinally studied by 16S rDNA pyrosequencing on NWS collected before and after challenge.

RESULTS

Among 40 selected volunteers, 10 were natural carriers and 30 were experimentally challenged. At baseline, five distinct nasopharyngeal microbiome profiles were identified. The phylogenetic distance between microbiomes of natural pneumococcal carriers was particularly large compared to non-carriers. A more diverse microbiome prior to inoculation was associated with the establishment of pneumococcal carriage. Perturbation of microbiome diversity upon pneumococcal challenge was strain specific. Shifts in microbiome profile occurred after pneumococcal exposure, and those volunteers who acquired carriage more often diverted from their original profile. S. pneumoniae was little prominent in the microbiome of pneumococcal carriers.

CONCLUSION

Pneumococcal acquisition in healthy adults is more likely to occur in a diverse microbiome and appears to promote microbial heterogeneity.