Probiotic yeast that senses Candida and delivers antibiofilm therapy
Precision delivery of antibiofilm therapies using Candida-sensing probiotic yeast
This project develops a probiotic yeast that senses harmful Candida albicans in the gut and releases proteins to break up biofilms and help antifungal treatments work better for people with Candida infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina State University Raleigh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Raleigh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11110392 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have Candida in your gut, researchers are engineering a safe probiotic yeast that can live in the large intestine and detect Candida by sensing its mating signals. When it detects Candida, the yeast would release proteins such as peptides or enzymes that break down fungal biofilms that protect Candida from drugs. Using a living microbe helps protect these fragile protein therapies from degradation in the gut and aims to deliver them exactly where Candida forms biofilms. This is early-stage laboratory and preclinical work to test safety and how well the approach works before any human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with recurrent, resistant, or gut-colonizing Candida albicans infections or those at high risk of invasive candidiasis due to gut overgrowth would be the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People with fungal infections not caused by Candida albicans, infections limited to skin or nails, or individuals for whom probiotics are unsafe (for example severely immunocompromised patients) may not receive benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could provide a targeted gut treatment that dismantles Candida biofilms and boosts the effectiveness of existing antifungal drugs, potentially reducing resistant infections.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory and animal studies have shown that antibiofilm peptides, enzymes, and engineered probiotics can work, but a Candida-sensing probiotic to deliver these therapies in the human gut is a novel approach not yet tested in people.
Where this research is happening
Raleigh, United States
- North Carolina State University Raleigh — Raleigh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Crook, Nathan C. — North Carolina State University Raleigh
- Study coordinator: Crook, Nathan C.
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.