Lab-grown lung models to culture Pneumocystis fungi
Alveolar organoids and metabolomic-driven cultivation of Pneumocystis species
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · NIH-11250035
Researchers are developing ways to grow Pneumocystis fungi outside the lung to help people with weakened immune systems who can get Pneumocystis pneumonia.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CINCINNATI, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11250035 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
As someone at risk for Pneumocystis pneumonia, this project is trying to replicate the lung environment in the lab so the fungus can be grown and studied. The team will use two approaches: a cell-free culture guided by metabolomics to find the exact nutrients Pneumocystis needs, and lab-made rat and human alveolar organoids that mimic the lung surface. Metabolic Flux Balance Analysis will help design and refine the nutrient mixes, while organoids will recreate the fungus’s natural niche. Success would allow more detailed study of how the fungus grows and how new treatments might work.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with weakened immune systems—for example those living with HIV/AIDS or receiving immune-suppressing treatments—are the patient groups most directly relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People without immune suppression or those with unrelated lung conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable new tests, drugs, and vaccines by making the fungus easier to study and screen against therapies.
How similar studies have performed: This is largely novel because Pneumocystis species have been historically unculturable outside the lung, and combining metabolomics with alveolar organoids is a new strategy.
Where this research is happening
CINCINNATI, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI — CINCINNATI, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: SMULIAN, ALAN GEORGE — UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
- Study coordinator: SMULIAN, ALAN GEORGE
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.