How Ilheus virus infects mosquito and mammal cells
Official title: Insights into infection of Ilheus virus in mammalian and mosquito cells
Funded at State University of New York at Albany · NIH-11232316 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will learn how Ilheus virus grows in mosquito and mammal cells to help protect people from mosquito-borne illness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Albany NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | November 15, 2024 |
| Project end | October 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $76,988 |
| NIH project number | 5R03AI188527-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11232316 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
There is no direct patient enrollment for this lab-based project, but people living in or traveling to regions where Ilheus virus circulates could be future candidates for related clinical studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical care are unlikely to benefit from this basic laboratory research in the short term.
What this research studies
You should know this project studies Ilheus virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus that can cause human illness. Scientists will grow the virus in mosquito and mammalian cell lines to map how it replicates and responds to antiviral signals like interferon. They plan to develop an infectious clone to allow controlled genetic tests and compare infection timelines between mosquito and mammal cells. The lab work could also explore compounds shown to have some anti-Ilheus activity to see how the virus reacts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to better understanding that supports future diagnostics, antiviral drugs, or vaccines for Ilheus virus.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work includes surveillance, sequencing, a crystal structure of an ILHV protein, and preliminary antiviral tests, but studies of infection kinetics and creation of an infectious clone for ILHV are new.
Where this research is happening
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State University of New York at Albany
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pager, Cara Theresia — State University of New York at Albany
- Study coordinator: Pager, Cara Theresia
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.