Award
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 3RF1NS145626-01S1
Understanding the causes of second episode cryptococcal meningitis to improve diagnosis and treatment
Recipient
University of Minnesota
Award Amount
$1,191,148.00
Ceiling
$1,191,148.00
Awarded
September 11, 2025
Identifier
3RF1NS145626-01S1
A research project funded by NIH to improve diagnosis and treatment of second episode cryptococcal meningitis by validating a qPCR assay and investigating relapse causes.
Description
This project aims to validate a real-time CSF-based Cryptococcus qPCR assay for diagnosing relapse, investigate causes of relapse through drug level testing, immune response characterization, and genomic sequencing, and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of qPCR for early detection of treatment failure. The goal is to develop rapid, accurate, and cost-effective diagnostics to improve patient outcomes and inform future prevention strategies.