Tracking how Cryptococcus yeast changes in HIV/AIDS patients
Official title: Evolution of Cryptococcus neoformans Strains from Patients with HIV/AIDS
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11392442 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to understand why Cryptococcus neoformans behaves differently in people with HIV/AIDS and how this affects disease severity and treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | August 8, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $792,082 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI189300-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392442 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with HIV/AIDS who are affected by cryptococcal meningitis and the clinical isolates collected from them.
✕Less likely to help
The study is largely discovery-driven; individuals not involved in or affected by cryptococcal meningitis may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will collect thousands of Cryptococcus isolates from patients and the environment, sequence their genomes, and test how different strains grow and cause disease using a high-throughput setup. Researchers will link genetic differences to virulence traits and disease outcomes, building a genotype-to-phenotype map to pinpoint factors that drive meningitis severity. The work combines clinical samples, big-data genomics, and rapid phenotyping to uncover targets for better diagnostics and treatments. Patients with HIV/AIDS who develop meningitis could benefit from more precise diagnosis and future therapies informed by these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: The research could lead to better diagnostic markers and new targets for antifungal therapies, improving outcomes for people with HIV/AIDS who get cryptococcal meningitis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows strain differences in pathogenicity; this project expands that with a large, global isolate collection and genome-wide analyses, which is a logical next step.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Perfect, John R. — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Perfect, John R.
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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.