Targeting a special fungal cell type to treat fungal meningitis
Official title: Targeting a dissemination-prone morphotype to treat fungal meningitis
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11371308 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new NIH-funded project aims to block and treat fungal meningitis caused by Cryptococcus in people with AIDS, focusing on a unique cell form that helps the fungus spread to the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | June 12, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $708,155 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI193169-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11371308 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with AIDS or advanced HIV who are at risk for cryptococcal meningitis or have a disseminated fungal infection.
✕Less likely to help
Young, otherwise healthy individuals without immunodeficiency or cryptococcal infection are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports research to understand how Cryptococcus spreads in people who are immunocompromised, especially those with HIV/AIDS. Researchers have identified a seed-like fungal cell that helps the infection move from the lungs to the brain and are studying ways to stop this process. The work includes an in vitro system to study seed cells and may lead to therapies that prevent dissemination and improve outcomes. The project runs over five years and is led by Jessica Conrad Brown at the University of Utah. If successful, the approach could reduce deaths from cryptococcal meningitis in vulnerable patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new treatments that prevent brain infection and save lives for people with AIDS who develop cryptococcal meningitis.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary findings on seed cells suggest a promising new target, but translation to human therapies is still early and ongoing.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brown, Jessica Conrad — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Brown, Jessica Conrad
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Personalized Immunomodulatory Therapy for HIV-related Cryptococcal Meningitis
A patient-focused study investigates a personalized treatment approach to improve outcomes for people with HIV who develop cryptococcal meningitis.
-
Improving Diagnostics and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV/AIDS-related Meningitis
A study in Uganda aims to use faster, better tests and a new antifungal to help people with HIV who develop meningitis.
-
TB meningitis diagnostic test compare and cost study in sub-Saharan Africa
Researchers are testing a new CSF urine-based test (SILVAMP TB LAM) to improve diagnosis of TB meningitis in people with HIV, to help speed treatment and reduce death in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Minimally Invasive Sampling to Improve HIV-Associated M meningitis Diagnosis in Africa
A research study is testing easier, less invasive ways to diagnose meningitis in people living with HIV, with a focus on making diagnosis faster and more accurate in Africa and the US.
-
Understanding brain injury in kids with tuberculous meningitis (iThemba)
A study in children with TB meningitis in South Africa will look at how inflammation and blood-clotting factors relate to brain injury and infarcts.
-
Serological clues to survival in HIV-related cryptococcal meningitis
This grant looks for antibody signals in the blood that could predict who survives cryptococcal meningitis in people with HIV.
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.