NIH Host-Targeted Interventions as Therapeutics for Infectious Diseases (R21/R33)

Applications focused on discovery and development of a therapeutic that targets a host-encoded function required for infection by one or more NIAID Category A, B, or C priority pathogens are invited.  Eligible pathogens include dengue, Brucella melitensis, Rickettsia spp., Japanese encephalitis, Giardia lamblia, Toxoplasma gondii, Chikungunya virus, and others  (For a complete list of Category A, B, & C pathogens, see http://pathema.jcvi.org/pathema/AbcGenomes.shtml)


Activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Identification and validation of new host targets for drug discovery;
• Development of new and improved target identification technologies;
• Screening for candidate therapeutics;
• Molecular modeling, library screening, and medicinal chemistry/structural activity analysis to optimize candidate compounds for preclinical studies;
• Preclinical characterization of candidate therapeutics, including toxicity and efficacy in in vitro or in vivo models;
• Performing reiterative design, chemical synthesis and in vitro analysis to develop a "mature" lead compound; and
• Synthesis of sufficient quantities of a lead compound(s) for preclinical characterization.

This grant is worth a total of $1,175,000 over 5 years.  The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent is 31 October 2011.  The application deadline is 30 November 2011.

For more information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-11-032.html