Clinical and Diagnostics Core

Summary Core 3: Clinical and Diagnostics Core Co-Directors: (Thompson and Kenyon) The Core 3 will provide infrastructure and assays to support interdisciplinary discovery and translational research objectives proposed in the Projects of this application. The Core 3 resources will support the investigation of immune and metabolic correlates of the spectrum of disease encountered in coccidioidomycosis and treatment outcomes (Project 3). Through the collection of CSF and peripheral blood samples, Core 3 will provide samples for investigating host transcriptomic response in disseminated Coccidioides (Project 2). Core 3 will support an evaluation of the diagnostic potential of Coccidioides antigens identified in Projects 1 and 2 and host biomarkers identified in Project 2. The Specific Aims of the Core 3 are the following: (1) To develop Coccidioides patient sample repositories that link to clinical patient information through unique databases that support discovery and translational research on coccidioidomycosis. (2) To increase coccidioidomycosis research collaborations by leveraging resources available through the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC), West Coast Metabolomics Center (WCMC) and other technology cores. In summary, Core 3 will play a critical role in supporting the research investigations for the Projects 1, 2 and 3 by providing well defined clinical samples from patients with Coccidioides infection. In collaboration with the CTSC, Core 3 will provide clinical (deidentified) data and serological findings from the Coccidioidomycosis Diagnostic laboratory. Thus, Core 3 will serve as an important source of the clinical samples including serum, CSF and PBMC samples. Additionally, Core 3 will evaluate the diagnostic potential of Coccidioides antigens identified in the Projects 1 and 2 and host biomarkers identified in Project 2. If these candidates show promise, further studies will be performed through the Diagnostic laboratory so that these reagents can be advanced to the clinic.