Peptide vaccine to prevent serious Candida bloodstream infections, including drug‑resistant C. auris
Official title: Liposome-displayed peptide vaccine against disseminated candidiasis by clinically-relevant Candida species
Funded at Pop Biotechnologies, INC · NIH-11159796 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops a liposome-based peptide vaccine intended to help protect hospitalized and immunocompromised people from life-threatening Candida bloodstream infections, including drug‑resistant C. auris.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pop Biotechnologies, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Buffalo, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $300,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R41AI184019-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159796 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People at high risk for disseminated candidiasis—such as hospitalized patients, those in intensive care, organ transplant recipients, or other immunocompromised individuals—would be the most relevant candidates for future trials.
✕Less likely to help
People who are at very low risk for Candida bloodstream infections or those who cannot mount antibody responses because of severe immune suppression may not benefit from vaccination.
What this research studies
The team is making a vaccine that displays short Candida-derived peptides (called Fba and Met6) on tiny lipid particles to prompt strong antibody responses. The vaccine uses a cobalt-porphyrin-phospholipid (CoPoP) liposome system to present these peptides and boost immune recognition. In lab and animal studies the peptides produced protective antibodies, and the current work aims to optimize the particle vaccine formulation and test its ability to reduce fungal burden. The goal is a vaccine that could be given alone or together with antifungal drugs to lower illness and deaths from disseminated candidiasis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this vaccine could lower bloodstream fungal infections and related deaths, especially from drug-resistant Candida like C. auris.
How similar studies have gone: There are no approved fungal vaccines yet, but these specific peptide immunogens produced protective antibody responses in mouse models, so the approach has promising preclinical support though human testing is unproven.
Where this research is happening
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Pop Biotechnologies, INC
Buffalo, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xin, Hong — Pop Biotechnologies, INC
- Study coordinator: Xin, Hong
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.