# C. albicans and S. aureus Catheter Infections: Clinical Implications and Therapy

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2020 · $335,081

## Abstract

Project Summary
Staphylococci and C. albicans are the most frequent combination of organisms isolated
from polymicrobial infections. The ability of C. albicans and S. aureus to cause disease
largely depends on their ability to form biofilms and alter their transcriptome in response
to different stresses to ensure survival in the host. Changes in the transcriptional
network also ensure that these organisms can grow in tissues and survive stresses
inflicted upon them by cells of the innate immune system. Significantly, enhanced in
vitro tolerance to antimicrobials in C. albicans and staphylococci mixed biofilms has
been reported. Consequently, in addition to formation of enhanced and persistent
biofilms, co-infection with S. aureus and C. albicans may influence gene expression, in
turn impacting virulence and drug resistance. Therefore, it has become imperative to
elucidate the unique interactions between these pathogens within polymicrobial biofilms
in vivo with the goal of providing overall insights into the dynamics of how mixed-
microbial populations are established and regulated in the human body. To that end, we
developed a practical and clinically-relevant subcutaneous catheter mouse model to
characterize the molecular interplay between S. aureus and C. albicans as they co-
infect a host by performing comparative transcriptomics analysis of single and mixed-
species biofilms. Further, we designed feasible non-invasive bioluminescence imaging
and intravital microscopy systems as tools, which we will use to elucidate the
mechanisms of biofilm formation and development of drug resistance under in vivo
conditions. Our central hypothesis is that the regulatory and transcriptional pathways
uniquely expressed during in vivo-grown polymicrobial biofilms of C. albicans and S.
aureus identify microbial phenotypes of enhanced pathogenic potential central to the
persistence and antimicrobial resistance of biofilm-associated polymicrobial infections.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9969060
- **Project number:** 5R01AI130170-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** MARY ANN Y JABRA-RIZK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $335,081
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-21 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9969060

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9969060, C. albicans and S. aureus Catheter Infections: Clinical Implications and Therapy (5R01AI130170-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9969060. Licensed CC0.

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