In the past two years pneumocystis pneumonia has become the major opportunistic disease in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The disease is rapidly progressive with a mortality rate over 40% despite treatment, whereas the mortality rate approaches 100% in untreated cases. Pentamidine is an effective chemotherapeutic agent but is highly toxic. Various combinations and analogs of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine have been used with varying degrees of success. However, AIDS patients with pneumocystis pneumonia have not responded well to such treatment. The objective of this contract is to identify new drugs which have potential for use in the treatment of pneumocystis pneumonia in AIDS patients, utilizing animal models and/or in vitro techniques. Evaluation of such promising drugs in AIDS patients will then be carried out under a separate project.

Project Start
1987-07-10
Project End
1992-07-09
Budget Start
1991-03-29
Budget End
1992-07-09
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Cincinnati
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Cincinnati
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
45221
Smulian, A G; Theus, S A; Denko, N et al. (1993) A 55 kDa antigen of Pneumocystis carinii: analysis of the cellular immune response and characterization of the gene. Mol Microbiol 7:745-53
Walzer, P D; Foy, J; Steele, P et al. (1992) Treatment of experimental pneumocystosis: review of 7 years of experience and development of a new system for classifying antimicrobial drugs. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 36:1943-50
Smulian, A G; Stringer, J R; Linke, M J et al. (1992) Isolation and characterization of a recombinant antigen of Pneumocystis carinii. Infect Immun 60:907-15
De Stefano, J A; Sleight, R G; Babcock, G F et al. (1992) Isolation of Pneumocystis carinii cysts by flow cytometry. Parasitol Res 78:179-82
Walzer, P D; Foy, J; Steele, P et al. (1992) Activities of antifolate, antiviral, and other drugs in an immunosuppressed rat model of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 36:1935-42
Linke, M J; Walzer, P D (1991) Identification and purification of a soluble species of gp120 released by zymolyase treatment of Pneumocystis carinii. J Protozool 38:176S-178S
Cushion, M T; Stringer, J R; Walzer, P D (1991) Cellular and molecular biology of Pneumocystis carinii. Int Rev Cytol 131:59-107
Walzer, P D (1991) Overview of animal models of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. J Protozool 38:122S-123S
Smulian, A G; Stringer, J R; Linke, M J et al. (1991) Expression cloning of Pneumocystis carinii antigens. J Protozool 38:8S-10S
Walzer, P D; Kim, C K; Foy, J et al. (1991) Furazolidone and nitrofurantoin in the treatment of experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 35:158-63

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