Does lab-detected antifungal resistance affect treatment of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever)?
Official title: Relationship between in vitro antifungal resistance and in vivo response in coccidioidomycosis
Funded at University of Texas San Antonio · NIH-11251795 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are comparing lab-measured resistance of Coccidioides fungi to how well antifungal drugs work in animal models to inform better treatments for people with coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever).
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas San Antonio NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $329,174 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI166761-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251795 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This is most relevant to people diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever), especially those with lung or central nervous system infection or with prior azole treatment or suspected resistance.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with infections caused by other fungi, those without Coccidioides infection, or those already receiving clearly effective non-azole therapies may not benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
This project uses mouse models of lung and brain (CNS) infection to see whether Coccidioides strains that show resistance in lab tests respond differently to azole antifungal drugs in a living organism. Investigators will compare clinical isolates with varying fluconazole susceptibility and test the effectiveness of azoles and alternative therapies in those models. The team aims to connect laboratory susceptibility results to likely clinical outcomes to help guide drug choice. Results are intended to help clinicians choose the most effective medicines for pulmonary and CNS Valley fever.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors pick antifungal drugs that are more likely to work and reduce treatment failures for patients with pulmonary or brain coccidioidomycosis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory work has shown high rates of decreased fluconazole susceptibility, but linking those lab findings to treatment failure in living hosts is not well established, so this approach is partly novel.
Where this research is happening
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University of Texas San Antonio
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patterson, Thomas F. — University of Texas San Antonio
- Study coordinator: Patterson, Thomas F.
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.