Searching for new medicines for Valley fever (Coccidioides) using a high‑security screening lab
BSL3 Drug Screening Core
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · NIH-11251791
This project builds a high‑security lab to screen thousands of compounds to find new treatments for people with Valley fever caused by Coccidioides fungi.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (SAN ANTONIO, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11251791 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating a Biosafety Level‑3 drug‑screening core to allow large‑scale testing of chemical libraries directly against Coccidioides fungi. They will set up low‑ and high‑density microtiter plate assays that work inside the BSL‑3 space and adapt imaging flow cytometry for fungal cytological profiling. The team will use these tools to spot compounds that kill or disable the fungus and to learn how promising compounds act. The core will also support other center projects and provide screening services to accelerate new antifungal development.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People diagnosed with Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis), especially those with persistent, severe, or disseminated infections, stand to benefit from the therapies this work might produce.
Not a fit: Individuals without Coccidioides infection or with unrelated conditions are unlikely to directly benefit from this laboratory screening effort.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could speed discovery of new antifungal drugs for people with coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever).
How similar studies have performed: High‑throughput screening has previously produced antifungal leads, but running HTS and imaging‑based profiling inside a BSL‑3 facility specifically for Coccidioides is a newer and less tested approach.
Where this research is happening
SAN ANTONIO, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO — SAN ANTONIO, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: LOPEZ-RIBOT, JOSE L. — UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO
- Study coordinator: LOPEZ-RIBOT, JOSE L.
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.