How Candida albicans changes shape and becomes harmful
Official title: Systematic Analysis of Morphogenesis, Commensalism, and Virulence in a Leading Human Fungal Pathogen
Funded at University of Toronto · NIH-11145747 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the common fungus Candida albicans changes and becomes harmful so scientists can find new targets for safer antifungal treatments for people with serious fungal infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Toronto NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Toronto, Canada) |
| Project start | August 1, 2017 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $611,446 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI127375-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145747 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have or are at high risk for serious Candida infections (for example bloodstream infections or recurrent invasive disease) would be the most likely to benefit from future treatments that come from this work.
✕Less likely to help
People with unrelated infections or only mild, superficial fungal infections are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic laboratory research in the near term.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers are using a large library of genetically engineered Candida strains where single genes can be turned down to see which genes let the fungus change shape, live harmlessly, or cause disease. They run many strains together in pooled experiments and use DNA sequencing to count which strains grow or fail under different conditions. The team links genes to traits like morphogenesis, commensal behavior, and virulence to point to vulnerabilities in the fungus. Findings will help prioritize targets for the next steps toward new antifungal drugs or therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug targets that lead to safer, more effective treatments for invasive Candida infections.
How similar studies have gone: Related genomic screens have identified fungal genes linked to virulence before, but turning those discoveries into approved antifungal drugs remains difficult and uncommon so far.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cowen, Leah Elizabeth — University of Toronto
- Study coordinator: Cowen, Leah Elizabeth
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Neuroimaging changes with treatment in developmental language disorder (DLD)
A study using brain imaging in people with developmental language disorder to see how treatment-related changes relate to grammar learning.
-
Understanding how speech develops in kids who use two dialects or languages
We’re studying how young children who speak two dialects or languages produce speech sounds, to help clinicians tell apart typical differences from speech delays.
-
Systematic study of a leading human fungal pathogen and its virulence
Scientists are studying how Candida albicans causes disease and how it responds to drugs, with the goal of finding new ways to treat dangerous infections.
-
Targeting Hsp90 in cryptococcal fungal disease
A patient-centered look at a study that aims to weaken a fungal pathogen (Cryptococcus) by disabling a protein (Hsp90) to make antifungal drugs work better.
-
Non-viral gene editing to fix cystic fibrosis stop mutations
This project tests inhaled, non-viral gene editing to correct premature 'stop' mutations in the CFTR gene for people with cystic fibrosis caused by nonsense mutations.
-
Ferrochelatase: a new target to block abnormal eye blood vessel growth
A scientist is studying a gene called FECH to understand how to stop unwanted blood vessel growth in diseases like age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
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.