Treating mucormycosis by targeting the body's low-oxygen response
Therapeutic targeting the host hypoxia-response pathway to treat Mucormycosis
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · NIH-11307124
A treatment approach that changes how the body responds to low oxygen to help people with mucormycosis, a serious fungal infection.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11307124 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you have mucormycosis, researchers are working on medicines that tweak the body’s hypoxia (low-oxygen) response that these fungi exploit. The team will use laboratory models and disease-relevant samples to find drugs or molecules that block the harmful host response and test them alongside existing antifungal drugs. Their goal is to reduce fungal growth and tissue damage so treatments work better than current options. Successful lab findings would be used to design future patient treatments and clinical testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People diagnosed with mucormycosis—especially those with diabetes/ketoacidosis, weakened immune systems, recent trauma, or transplant patients—would be the main candidates for related clinical work.
Not a fit: People with unrelated fungal infections or those whose disease is fully resolved by surgery are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new therapies that, when added to current antifungals, reduce death and the need for extensive surgery in people with mucormycosis.
How similar studies have performed: Host-directed therapies are a relatively new approach for fungal infections and have shown promise in limited preclinical work, but this application to mucormycosis is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BRUNO, VINCENT MICHAEL — UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- Study coordinator: BRUNO, VINCENT MICHAEL
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.