Marburg virus and skin: how the virus interacts with the body’s largest organ
Official title: Defining Marburg Virus interactions with skin
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11438975 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how Marburg virus may infect skin and spread in the body, aiming to reveal how skin involvement could affect illness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | August 4, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $233,250 |
| NIH project number | 1UH2AI202028-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11438975 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be individuals with Marburg virus exposure or infection, or tissues/cells derived from human skin for model systems with appropriate safety safeguards.
✕Less likely to help
People without access to MARV exposure or infected samples may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Marburg virus can cause severe illness and currently lacks vaccines or treatments. This project will study MARV interactions with human skin using three different model systems to see which skin cells can be infected and how the virus moves from the skin to the rest of the body. The findings could help identify new targets to prevent or limit infection and pathogenesis. The work is focused on understanding skin’s role in MARV spread rather than testing a treatment in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Advances in understanding MARV skin infection could guide future therapies or vaccines and improve outbreak responses.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests skin involvement is relevant in MARV; this study explores a more detailed skin-specific mechanism.
Where this research is happening
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maury, Wendy Jean — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Maury, Wendy Jean
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.