Understanding Guanarito virus and building countermeasures for Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever
Official title: Pathogenic mechanisms of Guanarito virus and development of countermeasures against Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever
Funded at University of Texas Med Br Galveston · NIH-11428214 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how Guanarito virus causes disease and aims to develop vaccines or treatments to protect people in areas where Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever occurs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Med Br Galveston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Galveston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $741,005 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI201249-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11428214 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals in VeHF-endemic regions who may benefit from future vaccines or therapies developed through this work, or patients participating in related clinical trials once available.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage research and animal studies may not directly benefit patients in the short term.
What this research studies
Researchers at UTMB are studying Guanarito virus, a dangerous pathogen, in specialized high-security labs to uncover how it causes illness. They are using animal models and molecular tools to understand infection and immune responses, and to develop potential countermeasures. The work focuses on translating findings into vaccines or therapies that could help prevent or treat VeHF in people who may be exposed. Because the virus requires BSL-4 containment, the team will carefully manage safety and coordination with public health authorities while pursuing this goal.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to vaccines or treatments that reduce illness and death from Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work on arenaviruses has informed countermeasure development, but GTOV-specific progress is still emerging and this project aims to advance that body of knowledge.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Med Br Galveston
Galveston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maruyama, Junki — University of Texas Med Br Galveston
- Study coordinator: Maruyama, Junki
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Broad antiviral drugs that target coronaviruses and other viruses
A research program aims to identify small molecules that can block multiple viruses, focusing first on coronaviruses, to help create drugs that can treat future outbreaks.
-
Finding broadly protective antibodies against Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
Researchers will study blood from people who survived CCHF to find human antibodies that protect against multiple virus variants, with early tests in animal models to check their breadth.
-
Antivirals for hemorrhagic fever viruses like LASV, SFTSV, and EBOV
A multi-institutional effort to find and validate antiviral compounds that block key viral proteins from LASV, SFTSV, and EBOV to help people at risk from serious hemorrhagic fevers.
-
A New Model for Valley Fever: Studying Coccidioides Infection with Volatile Clues in Wax Moths
Researchers are testing a new, cheaper model using wax moths to study Valley Fever caused by Coccidioides, with the goal of understanding how the infection behaves and how it could be diagnosed or treated.
-
Halogen-modified nucleoside analogs to fight yellow fever virus
Aims to develop new oral medicines that could prevent or treat yellow fever by using specially modified building blocks that stop the virus from growing.
-
Fever-related heat and disturbed blood flow weaken the artery lining via a cellular stress pathway
This study will explore how fever-range heat and uneven blood flow together harm the inner lining of arteries, especially in areas prone to atherosclerosis, by triggering a specific cellular stress pathway.
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.