No. Grafton, Mass – Cynthia Theodos, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Biomedical Sciences, has received a one and a half million dollar research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which could lead to life-saving health protocols for AIDS patients. Theodos, an immunologist who has a particular interest in studying immune regulation of parasitic infections, will be collaborating with researchers at the New England Regional Primate Research Center to identify changes in the immune system that result in the development of the gastrointestinal illness, chronic cryptosporidiosis, in individuals with AIDS.

   Caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum, this chronic gastrointestinal illness can be life threatening in AIDS patients due to their compromised immune systems. “By understanding the changes in the immune system that result in the development of chronic cryptosporidiosis, we will be better able to design effective immunotheraputic approaches to eliminate the parasite from the body,” said Theodos, who will be conducting the research over the next four years. To date, there are no existing drugs which are effective in destroying the parasite.