How Candida yeasts live in the gut and lead to invasive infections
Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating fungal colonization and disease in the mammalian intestinal niche
This project maps how Candida yeast live in the intestines and how that can lead to dangerous bloodstream infections, focusing on patients who have had stem-cell transplants or are otherwise at high risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321547 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I join, researchers would collect patient samples and clinical data to build a large collection of Candida strains and measure stool metabolites. They will test those strains and metabolites in controlled lab experiments and germ-free (gnotobiotic) models to see what helps or stops gut colonization. The team will also study gut immune cells, like Paneth cells and innate lymphoid cells, to learn how the body's defenses affect Candida growth. By combining patient-based data with mechanistic lab work, they aim to create a predictive model of who is likely to develop invasive candidiasis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people treated at participating transplant centers, especially hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients who have Candida detected in their gut.
Not a fit: People without intestinal Candida colonization or who are not at elevated risk for invasive candidiasis are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or predict life-threatening Candida bloodstream infections in high-risk patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked gut bacteria and metabolites to Candida growth, but combining detailed patient samples with gnotobiotic models to build a predictive framework is a relatively novel and more comprehensive approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hohl, Tobias M — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Hohl, Tobias M
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.