This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Invasive aspergillosis is a fungal infection that primarily affects immunocompromised patients. Most cases of invasive aspergillosis are caused by Aspergillus fumigatus. There is a critical need for the identification of novel targets for antifungal therapies that can prevent this organism from infecting people. The purpose of this research project is to develop clinically relevant experimental models to study the mechanisms by which A. fumigatus causes infection. As part of these investigations, we plan to study the interactions of A. fumigatus with endothelial cells. These cells form the inner lining of the blood vessels. The long-range goal of this research is to understand how A. fumigatus invades, damages, and activates these cells so that methods to block this process can be developed. This work is important because the mortality of patients with invasive aspergillosis is approximately 50%, even with currently available therapy. For the proposed studies, the endothelial cells will be harvested from the veins within human umbilical cords and grown in tissue culture. The umbilical cords will be obtained after normal vaginal births from uninfected donors. No information about the mother or baby will be collected. The donors of the cords will not be identified and the umbilical cord blood will not be collected.
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