Therapeutic repurposing for babesiosis using a high-throughput drug screen
Official title: Therapeutic Repurposing for Human Babesiosis: Leveraging a High-Throughput Screen of Drugs and Clinical-Stage Compounds
Funded at Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health · NIH-11454926 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly look at using existing medicines to treat babesiosis, especially for people with weaker immune systems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 11, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $228,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI196865-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11454926 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with babesiosis, especially those who are immunocompromised or have limited treatment options, could be eligible for future studies or access to repurposed therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Some patients may not respond to repurposed drugs or may experience side effects unrelated to babesiosis.
What this research studies
This project tests whether drugs already approved for other conditions can help treat babesiosis, a malaria-like infection caused by Babesia microti. Researchers will screen a wide range of medicines that are already known to be safe in people to find those that might work against Babesia parasites. The work focuses on overcoming drug resistance and improving options for patients who don’t respond well to current therapies. Because this involves repurposing medicines, the safety history of these drugs can help speed up potential patient access if effective. The project acknowledges challenges like the lack of simple culture models for Babesia microti and aims to identify promising candidates for further development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lead to quicker availability of effective treatments for babesiosis using drugs that are already approved for other uses.
How similar studies have gone: Previous efforts to repurpose drugs for babesiosis have shown potential but are limited by parasite biology challenges; this study aims to expand the search.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Paul, Aditya Shankar — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Paul, Aditya Shankar
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.