How the immune system keeps Candida out of the gut
Immune Regulation of Candida GI Tract Colonization
This project looks at how the body's immune defenses stop Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis from overgrowing in the intestines of people at high risk for bloodstream infections, such as transplant recipients and premature infants.
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-11321554 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team is examining which immune cells and signaling pathways stop Candida from taking over the gut and moving into the bloodstream. They compare Candida strains that can live in the gut without antibiotics and use lab models that keep the normal bacterial microbiota intact to mimic real-life conditions. The researchers perform in vivo screens of pattern-recognition receptors and test how specific immune cell defects change Candida colonization and risk of invasive infection. Results may guide ways to boost or mimic those immune defenses to prevent life-threatening Candida bloodstream infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates to benefit are people at high risk for invasive Candida from the gut, such as allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients, organ transplant patients, and very premature newborns.
Not a fit: People without gut Candida colonization or those whose infections are caused by non-Candida organisms are unlikely to benefit directly from this grant's results.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to immune-based approaches to prevent Candida overgrowth and bloodstream infections in high-risk patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows the gut microbiota and some immune pathways influence Candida levels, but the precise immune mechanisms targeted here are still being worked out and this program applies new in vivo screening approaches.
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.