Award
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 1R21AI195332-01
NOVEL STRATEGY FOR COMBATING FUNGAL INFECTIONS BY TARGETING INOSITOL LIPID SIGNALING
Recipient
Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX, United States
Award Amount
$192,500.00
Ceiling
$192,500.00
Awarded
April 17, 2026
Identifier
1R21AI195332-01
The award funds research to develop novel antifungal drugs targeting fungal lipid signaling proteins to combat drug-resistant fungal infections, focusing on Candida species.
Description
This project aims to develop new classes of broad spectrum anti-mycotics targeting fungal Sec14 phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins (Sec14 PITPs) of Candida auris and Candida albicans. The focus is on structure-based design, synthesis, and validation of small molecule inhibitors that disrupt fungal phosphoinositide signaling pathways essential for fungal viability and virulence. The project includes evaluation of inhibitor efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic potential in preclinical models.