Fungal diseases in the United States are associated with about 7,300 deaths, 130,000 hospitalizations and millions of outpatient visits annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now UT San Antonio is collaborating with institutions across the nation to combat invasive fungal infections, a growing and severe public health threat — especially in hard-hit South Texas — with the help of a $6 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“Invasive fungal diseases pose high morbidity and mortality, and they are on the rise globally, but there is no licensed vaccine,” said Chiung-Yu Hung, PhD, professor of molecular microbiology and immunology in the UT San Antonio College of Sciences.
Hung is a research expert in the field of Coccidioides, a member species that causes coccidioidomycosis, which is also known as San Joaquin Valley fever, an infectious fungal disease endemic to the southwestern U.S.
The R24 research grant is the first of its kind to be awarded to UT San Antonio and supports a multi-institutional collaboration with UMass Chan Medical School and the University of Wisconsin.
The project is led by principal investigator Stuart Levitz, professor of medicine and microbiology and physiological systems at UMass Chan, with Hung and Bruce Klein, professor of pediatrics, medicine, and medical microbiology and Immunology at the University of Wisconsin serving as subaward principal investigators.
The research team expects to identify and characterize at least 15 antigens for each targeted fungal pathogen, which will lay the groundwork for next-generation diagnostic kits, improved understanding of fungal disease mechanisms and the development of novel vaccines.
Hung’s research spans the development of therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines for Coccidioides infections. She uses multidisciplinary approaches, including molecular biology, cellular biology and immunological techniques, to study host-pathogen interactions.
Hung’s Lab at UT San Antonio will focus on discovering and characterizing immunogenic antigens from human fungal pathogens, which are key molecular components that can be used to develop vaccines, diagnostic tests and immunotherapies. The antigens will be validated and made publicly available to researchers worldwide.
“The first step in developing vaccines and diagnostics for fungal infections is by addressing the paucity of publicly available, well-defined and validated immunogenic antigens,” said Hung. “Identified antigens can be shared between the scientific community and used to facilitate the development of important tools for combating fungal diseases.”
Drawing on her expertise in fungal immunology and Coccidioides infection, Hung will apply her lab’s research strengths to identify antigens that trigger protective immune responses.
The work will be conducted through the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID).
The project also provides hands-on research and training opportunities for UT San Antonio students at multiple levels.
Graduate and undergraduate students from Hung’s lab will participate in antigen discovery, validation and characterization, and gain experience in cutting-edge infectious disease research.
By contributing to this multi-institutional effort, UT San Antonio continues to expand its role as a leader in infectious disease research and innovation, while addressing critical health challenges regionally and globally.
As a principal investigator on the five-year grant, Hung plans to develop critical resources for fungal vaccines and diagnostics. UT San Antonio’s portion of the total award, $1.6 million, will continue through June 2030.
