New antifungal medicines for mould infections that resist azole drugs
Optimization and chemical biology of novel antifungals to combat azole resistant mould infections
Developing new drug compounds to treat people with mould infections, especially azole‑resistant Aspergillus fumigatus.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hanover, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285332 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating a new family of small molecules (nonspirocyclic piperidines, or NSPs) that showed strong activity against moulds in lab tests. They discovered a lead compound, MBX‑7591, that works particularly well in low‑oxygen conditions and can boost the effect of existing azole antifungals like voriconazole. The team will optimize the chemistry, study how the compounds work, and test them in animal infection models against azole‑resistant Aspergillus and other drug‑resistant moulds. The goal is to produce candidate drugs that could move into human testing if preclinical results are promising.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with invasive or difficult‑to‑treat mould infections, particularly those with azole‑resistant Aspergillus fumigatus or refractory mucormycosis, would be the eventual candidates for related clinical trials.
Not a fit: Because this is primarily preclinical research, people needing immediate treatment today or those with non‑mould fungal infections are unlikely to benefit directly right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments for people with azole‑resistant mould infections, including invasive aspergillosis and certain mucormycoses.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory and animal studies of new antifungal compounds and drug combinations have shown promise, but the NSP family and MBX‑7591 are novel and have not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Hanover, United States
- Dartmouth College — Hanover, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cramer, Robert Andrew — Dartmouth College
- Study coordinator: Cramer, Robert Andrew
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.