Faster diagnosis and better brain health after HIV-associated meningitis
Improving Diagnostics and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV/AIDS-related Meningitis
This project tests faster bedside and lab tests plus a new oral antifungal to help adults with HIV who develop meningitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11141078 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will enroll over 1,000 adults with HIV and suspected meningitis, mainly in Uganda. My spinal fluid and blood may be checked with rapid point-of-care and molecular tests, including a semi-quantitative cryptococcal antigen lateral flow and a new host-response TB test (Xpert-HR), to find the cause quickly. The team will also run a randomized phase II trial giving some participants an oral antifungal called oteseconazole to see if it clears the fungus better. The study will follow my recovery and memory/brain function over time to track neurocognitive outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV who present to participating hospitals with suspected or confirmed central nervous system infection or meningitis would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without HIV, children, patients with non-infectious neurological problems, or those who cannot attend participating sites are unlikely to benefit from joining this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could speed up correct diagnoses and offer a safer, easier oral treatment that improves survival and brain function after HIV-related meningitis.
How similar studies have performed: Rapid cryptococcal antigen tests and molecular TB diagnostics have improved diagnosis in other studies, but the semi-quantitative CrAg-SQ, Xpert-HR host-response signature, and oteseconazole for cryptococcosis in humans are relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boulware, David R — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Boulware, David R
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 below.