Faster, more accurate tests for talaromycosis (a serious fungal infection)
Tropical Medicine Research Center for Talaromycosis in Vietnam
This project is developing quicker blood and urine tests to find talaromycosis early in people with weakened immune systems, especially those with advanced HIV in Southeast Asia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11509022 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of work using stored blood, serum, and urine from a large Vietnamese patient group to compare a real-time PCR test and four new antigen tests against traditional culture methods. The team will measure how often the new tests correctly find talaromycosis and how quickly they give results. The project also aims to learn more about where the fungus lives and how people get infected by combining diagnostic work with epidemiology. Finally, the center will build local lab capacity and a network across Vietnam and the region to bring faster diagnosis into care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with advanced HIV or other immune suppression who live in or seek care in talaromycosis-endemic areas of Vietnam and Southeast Asia and who have symptoms suggestive of the infection.
Not a fit: People without exposure to endemic areas, without immune suppression, or without signs of talaromycosis are unlikely to benefit directly from these diagnostics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Faster and more sensitive tests could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, which may reduce deaths and complications from talaromycosis.
How similar studies have performed: PCR and antigen-based approaches have shown promise for faster fungal diagnosis but have not yet been fully validated or widely adopted for talaromycosis, so this work builds important clinical validation.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Le, Thuy — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Le, Thuy
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.