Hit-to-lead drug development for Acanthamoeba keratitis
Official title: Hit to lead drug development for Acanthamoeba keratitis
Funded at Purdue University · NIH-11465023 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Purdue research team is developing new drug candidates to treat Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful eye infection often linked to contact lens use and water exposure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,814 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI203106-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11465023 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with or at risk for Acanthamoeba keratitis, particularly contact lens wearers with water exposure history.
✕Less likely to help
People without AK or who would not be treated with benzoxazepinoindazole-based drugs may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on finding and optimizing new chemical compounds that can more effectively kill Acanthamoeba in the eye and work well in the eye’s environment. Researchers will study structure-activity and structure-property relationships to move promising compounds from early discovery toward a lead candidate. The work combines drug-discovery expertise with infectious-disease chemistry to improve potency, selectivity, and ocular pharmacokinetics. The goal is to shorten treatment duration and reduce the need for surgeries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive more effective treatments that clear infections faster and reduce vision loss or eye surgeries.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in amoebic infections has shown that targeted chemical classes can improve potency and selectivity, but this specific hit-to-lead effort is novel for AK.
Where this research is happening
-
Purdue University
West Lafayette, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rice, Christopher Aaron — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: Rice, Christopher Aaron
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Meltblown scaffolds to help irreparable rotator cuff tears
A new 3-D biomaterial scaffold made from meltblown technology aims to improve interposition grafts for people with irreparable rotator cuff tears.
-
Targeting how RMS cells fail to mature to slow or stop pediatric muscle cancer spread
A project to understand why a pediatric muscle cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma spreads, and to test ideas that could slow or stop it by helping cancer cells mature properly.
-
Risk stratification of malaria in school-age children using mobile eye-based spectroscopy
A low-cost, phone-based method uses pictures of the inner eyelid to identify which children in high-risk areas should get malaria tests.
-
Dual-AAV gene replacement approach for SCN2A-related neurodevelopmental disorders
A gene therapy approach using two AAV vectors to restore SCN2A function in children with SCN2A-related neurodevelopmental disorders.
-
Personalized use of newer diabetes medicines for Type 2 diabetes
Aiming to tailor use of newer glucose-lowering drugs for people with type 2 diabetes to improve health and access in real-world settings.
-
Intelligent social risk management for people with Alzheimer's and related dementias
Aimed at people living with dementia, this project uses AI and real-world health data to identify and address social factors that affect their care and quality of life.
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.