Sphingosine kinase's role in cryptococcal lung granulomas
Sphingosine kinase and cryptococcal granuloma
This project looks at whether a host enzyme called sphingosine kinase helps keep the Cryptococcus fungus contained in lung granulomas in people with weakened immune systems such as advanced HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University New York Stony Brook NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stony Brook, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11264948 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You should know the team uses a mouse model that recreates the lung granulomas people get from Cryptococcus neoformans and then makes the mice immunocompromised to study how the fungus escapes and spreads to the brain. They focus on a host enzyme called sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) and its product S1P, changing this pathway and testing different drugs that act on S1P receptors to see how granuloma formation and fungal reactivation change. Some experiments compare fingolimod (FTY720), which has been linked to cryptococcosis in people, with other S1P-receptor drugs that act differently. Results from the infected mice and molecular studies will be used to connect the biology to human cases and to inform possible future patient studies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with weakened immune systems who are at risk for cryptococcosis—for example those with advanced HIV or patients on certain immunomodulatory drugs—would be the most relevant candidates for follow-up or related human studies.
Not a fit: People without immunosuppression or those with fungal infections unrelated to Cryptococcus are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify ways to prevent cryptococcal reactivation in people with weakened immunity and guide safer use of certain immunomodulatory drugs.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies have shown the SK1–S1P pathway is important for granuloma formation and that fingolimod can trigger cryptococcal reactivation, so this work builds on established preclinical findings toward translation.
Where this research is happening
Stony Brook, United States
- State University New York Stony Brook — Stony Brook, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Del Poeta, Maurizio — State University New York Stony Brook
- Study coordinator: Del Poeta, Maurizio
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.