Aging is a major risk factor for both the development of primary tuberculosis (TB) disease and for the conversion of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection to active TB disease. As a consequence, persons over the age of 65 have the highest TB case rate and are the most susceptible to TB associated death. The immunological factors that contribute to the increased susceptibility of the elderly to TB remain largely unknown.

Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease that is caused by the obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. Human Q fever can develop into a severe chronic, potentially fatal disease. However, there is no vaccine commercially available for prevention of human Q fever in the US. Additionally, it is difficult to treat chronic Q fever patients with various antibiotic regimens. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an emergency alternative prophylactic and therapeutic strategy for prevention and treatment of Q fever.

To determine if a modified BCG vaccine is efficient in treating bladder cancer using the mouse model. Mouse experiments will be performed by Dr. Svatek at UT-Health SA, thus, he will get his institutional IACUC approval.

Malaria continues to kill upwards of 400,000 people annually, and the development and spread of resistance to frontline drugs will put more lives at risk. For the malaria eradication campaign to succeed, we need next generation antimalarial drugs that do more than just treat disease.

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium that causes acute and chronic Q fever in humans. It is an understudied category B select agent and can be transmitted via aerosol. The existing formalin-inactivated phase I whole-cell vaccine (PIV) induces serious side effects in previously sensitized individuals and no vaccine is commercially available for prevention of human Q fever in the US. Therefore, creation of a safe and effective vaccine to prevent Q fever remains an important public health and national biosecurity goal.

The goal of this project is to identify T-cell epitopes of pathogenic fungi including species in the



genera of Blastomyces, Coccidioides, Cryptococcus, and Histoplama. The subcontract site at



UTSA will conduct the proposed experiments for the identification and confirmation of



Coccidioides T cell epitopes. The newly identified T-cell epitopes can be used in an array of



basic immunological research to better understand the fungus-host interaction as well as

18-150 The goal is to send inactivated Zika virus infection of marmosets for analysis using nanotechnology. Role: Sub PI

The role of macrophage nuclear receptors in tuberculosis.