Melanie T. Cushion, PhD, and A. George Smulian, MD, professors in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, UC College of Medicine, are co-principal investigators on a Catalyst Research Award from the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust. The $349,736 two-year grant will support an effort to develop nanobodies for the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia, which would provide clinicians with new tools to treat patients.
Pneumocystis jirovecii is a fungal pathogen that causes Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PjP) in patients receiving lifesaving immunosuppressive therapies, such as those receiving bone marrow transplants. There are more than 400,000 new cases worldwide each year with mortality rates reaching 50%. Available treatments can cause severe reactions and toxicities in patients and there have been no anti-PjP agents brought to market in almost 30 years. Additionally, diagnosis of the infection requires invasive methods such as lung lavage, in which fluid is introduced into the lung and then collected for molecular testing and microscopic identification.
"PjP is a fungal lung infection that poses a serious threat to patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies. Unfortunately, diagnosing and treating PjP is difficult because we cannot grow the fungus outside the lungs, a standard method for identification and drug testing," notes Smulian, a clinician in the Infectious diseases division.
Featured photo of the CARE/Crawley Building.
