Investigating how sensitization to a common fungus affects asthma development
Official title: The role of Alternaria fungal sensitization in asthma pathogenesis
Funded at La Jolla Institute for Immunology · NIH-11222453 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the Alternaria fungus affects people with asthma, trying to find out why some people are more sensitive to it than others, which could help us understand asthma triggers better and find new ways to treat it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | La Jolla Institute for Immunology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $175,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R56AI187512-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11222453 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include adults who have asthma or are sensitized to Alternaria fungus.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have asthma or any form of sensitization to Alternaria may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research explores the role of the Alternaria fungus in asthma, particularly why some individuals become sensitized to it while others do not. The study will examine the immune mechanisms and specific cell types involved in this sensitization process. By analyzing the differences in immune responses between healthy individuals and those with asthma, the researchers aim to uncover protective factors and pathogenic features associated with Alternaria sensitization. This could lead to a better understanding of asthma triggers and potential new treatment strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved prevention and treatment strategies for asthma related to fungal allergens.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the immune responses to allergens, suggesting that this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
La Jolla Institute for Immunology
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vijayanand, Pandurangan — La Jolla Institute for Immunology
- Study coordinator: Vijayanand, Pandurangan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
GLP-1 receptor agonists as immune targets to treat asthma in lean and obese adults
Aims to understand how GLP-1R‑agonist diabetes medicines may directly calm immune cells to reduce asthma in adults who are lean or obese.
-
Understanding how a type of immune cell called ILC2s affect asthma in adults
This grant studies how group 2 innate lymphoid cells influence asthma in adults to help identify new ways to manage airway inflammation.
-
Expanding understanding of asthma in kids through airways and blood profiling
A study at UC San Francisco will profile blood and nasal/sputum samples from 300 youth (including 200 with asthma) over a year to understand how environmental and social factors influence asthma in marginalized communities.
-
Preventing and improving asthma care for children in urban communities
This program will try several approaches — from giving helpful bacteria to babies to allergy immunotherapy and advanced airway testing — to prevent and better treat asthma in children who live in cities.
-
IDEAL project helps predict vaccine response, infections, and asthma in early childhood
A Child-focused program will collect and share saliva, blood, and tissue samples from diverse infants to find biological patterns that predict how vaccines work, how respiratory infections occur, and who develops asthma.
-
Understanding how early-life immune development affects vaccine responses and asthma risk in children
This project uses lab-grown human immune cells from infants and young children to explore why some kids respond poorly to vaccines and are more prone to respiratory infections and asthma.
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.