Regulation of Candida biofilms on central venous catheters through transcriptional networks
Official title: Regulation of Candida albicans Central Venous Catheter Biofilms by Transcription Factor Networks
Funded at Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center · NIH-11373687 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to understand how Candida albicans forms biofilms on central venous catheters using real-life models to identify key transcription factors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Torrance, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $449,625 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI193658-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373687 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with central venous catheters and a risk of Candida biofilm infections could benefit from advances informed by this research.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit may be limited if findings do not translate quickly into new treatments or device coatings.
What this research studies
This project uses a mouse jugular vein catheter model and a human-like ex vivo catheter system to study how Candida albicans builds biofilms under blood flow and at the host-device interface. Researchers will test how different transcription factors control biofilm growth in these clinically relevant environments. The goal is to uncover context-specific regulatory circuits that aren’t visible in traditional lab dishes and to pinpoint regulators essential for vascular biofilm formation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these regulatory networks could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat catheter-associated infections.
How similar studies have gone: Previous in vitro studies highlighted core regulators, but this project shows some regulators behave differently in vivo, suggesting new approaches are needed.
Where this research is happening
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Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Torrance, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Uppuluri, Priya — Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Uppuluri, Priya
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.