Creating drugs to treat a deadly brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri.
Official title: Development of brain-penetrant drugs targeting N. fowleri primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11094155 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on new medicines to help treat a serious brain infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which mostly affects kids and young adults, by finding ways to get the drugs directly into the brain to fight the infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | May 23, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $194,497 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI171538-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11094155 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children and young adults who are at risk of or have been diagnosed with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are older adults or those with other unrelated health conditions may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing new medications that can effectively treat primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a severe brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, particularly affecting children and young adults. The researchers aim to create drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier, which is crucial for targeting the infection directly in the brain. By using small-molecule inhibitors that disrupt the amoeba's sterol biosynthesis, they hope to find a viable treatment option where none currently exists. The project involves a collaborative team with expertise in various scientific fields to ensure a comprehensive approach to drug development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to effective treatments for a currently untreatable and often fatal brain infection.
How similar studies have gone: While there have been efforts to develop treatments for PAM, this specific approach targeting the blood-brain barrier with CYP51 inhibitors is novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
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University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Debnath, Anjan — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Debnath, Anjan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.