NTM Info & Research’s Rapid Information Pilot Studies (RIPS)™ program provides leadership and guidance on unanswered questions regarding NTM host vulnerability, sources of infection, clinical and treatment issues. Small pilot studies are conducted to stimulate thinking, and research, and to provide a basis for funding of large scale, multi-centered investigations.

The objective of RIPS™ is to speed up the rate of investigations to provide new understandings of risk and treatment issues for pulmonary NTM patients.

• Three RIPS™ studies have already been funded. We are seeking multiple donations to implement additional studies.
• NTMir assists the investigator by coordinating patient involvement.
• NTMir funding of $50,000 or more per study will support RIPS™ design, data collection and evaluation.
• NTMir will utilize the information from the studies to urge Congress to fund projects related to pulmonary NTM disease.
• Initiate investigator-designed projects that will be completed within 12 months.
• Results are presented to federal agencies for consideration of large scale studies.

RIPS™ Studies Funded and Completed

Home Water Sample/Sputum Comparison Study (2008)

Dr. Joseph Falkinham, III

Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

NTMir awarded a Rapid Information Pilot Study (RIPS)™ grant to Dr. Joseph Falkinham, III, at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia to study household water systems as a source of pulmonary NTM infection. The project provided important information regarding the risk factors associated with household water and NTM lung infection. This study is the first in a series designed to better understand both environmental and host factors of human infection with NTM. Dr. Falkinham compared the NTM bacteria found in patients' lungs with the NTM bacteria in each patient's home to determine if they are the same strain.

Epidemiological Study (2008-2009)

National Institute of Allergy and Infection Disease (NIH)
Kaiser Permanente of Southern California

NTMir has awarded a RIPS™ grant jointly to National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and Kaiser Permanente of Southern California (Kaiser), a private healthcare provider, to study the prevalence, prevalence trends, and co-morbidities of pulmonary NTM disease. This study represents an opportunity to evaluate the prevalence of NTM within a closed healthcare system and a unique partnership between a federal government agency (NIAID), a private healthcare system (Kaiser), and a disease-centered not-for-profit organization (NTMir).

The Complete Genome Sequence of M. avium intracellulare (2008)

Dr. Marcel Behr

McGill University
Montreal, Canada

NTMir has awarded its first international RIPS™ grant to Dr. Marcel Behr at Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dr. Behr will complete the type genome sequence of M. avium intracellulare, which will aid in determining better treatments for the infection.

RIPS™ Studies Pending Funding

• What is the role of GERD? Does the use of a proton pump inhibitor (such as Prilosec ) to reduce stomach acid allow patients to infect their own lungs?
• What is the efficacy of adding streptomycin to the treatment regimen for a three month period? Patients with MAC (NTM) will be on similar treatment regimens. Results will be evaluated by routinely scheduled CT and sputum follow-up. Initiated by Dr. Richard Wallace, University of Texas at Tyler.
• Can bacteriophages or bacteriophage-derived enzymes be used to treat NTM?
• Genetic vulnerability: do patients have a family history of TB, NTM, or other lung disease that predispose these patients to pulmonary NTM infection?
• Why do more women, particularly post-menopausal, acquire pulmonary NTM disease? What are the estrogen levels of women who become infected with NTM compared with a control group? Are they on HRT? Do they have relatives of similar age that can be tested for the control?
• What immune issues may be common in patients with pulmonary NTM disease?
• What inflammatory responses contribute to diminished quality of life?