NIAID supports research to understand, diagnose, and treat many of the world’s most intractable and widespread diseases. Explore NIAID research through the diseases and conditions as well as the cross-cutting disciplines and approaches below.
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Infectious Diseases
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Antimicrobial (Drug) Resistance
Bacteria, fungi, and other microbes evolve over time and can develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs. Microbes naturally develop resistance; however, using antibiotics too often in humans and animals and in cases where antibiotics are not an appropriate treatment can make resistance develop more quickly.
Antiviral Program for Pandemics
The Antiviral Program for Pandemics (APP) aims to develop safe and effective antivirals to combat SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as to build sustainable platforms for targeted drug discovery and development of a robust pipeline of antivirals against viruses with pandemic potential.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by episodes of airway narrowing and obstruction, causing wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
Autoimmune Diseases
More than 80 diseases occur as a result of the immune system attacking the body’s own organs, tissues, and cells. Some of the more common autoimmune diseases include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and inflammatory bowel disease. Treatments are available for many autoimmune diseases, but cures have yet to be discovered.
Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS)
Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a rare genetic disorder of the immune system first described by NIH scientists in the mid-1990s that affects both children and adults. In ALPS, unusually high numbers of white blood cells called lymphocytes accumulate in the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen and can lead to enlargement of these organs.
Bacterial Vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) results from an imbalance in the vaginal microbiome and can increase women’s biological susceptibility to HIV and other STIs and can cause premature birth or low birthweight if untreated in pregnant women. NIAID-supported clinical studies seek to understand how the condition develops. Researchers are also trying to identify simpler treatment options and generate evidence to support availability of quality-controlled menstrual products.
Biodefense and Related Programs
NIAID supports research and development of medical countermeasures against emerging diseases and terrorist threats such as radiation exposure and chemical weapons.
Candidiasis
Candida are yeast that can be found on the skin and in the intestinal tract, but also on mucosal surfaces such as the vagina. Candidiasis in the vagina is typically referred to as a “yeast infection.” Although there are more than 20 yeast that can cause candidiasis, the most common are Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause cervicitis in women and urethritis and proctitis in both men and women. NIAID and NIAID-supported researchers are studying how Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria causes disease and developing a vaccine to prevent C. trachomatis infection.
Cholera
Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. An estimated 3-5 million cases and over 100,000 deaths occur each year around the world. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe. Without treatment, death can occur within hours.
Coronaviruses
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. However, three coronaviruses have caused more serious and fatal disease in people: SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19).
Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes and caused by any of four related dengue viruses. This disease used to be called "break-bone" fever because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking. Health experts have known about dengue fever for more than 200 years.
E. coli
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria live in the intestines of people and animals, and are key to a healthy intestinal tract. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some can cause diarrhea through contact with contaminated food or water while other strains can cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia.
Ebola and Marburg
Ebola is a serious and often fatal illness caused by a virus. Several viruses can cause Ebola disease in humans, including Ebola virus and Sudan virus. Symptoms of Ebola include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and severe bleeding and bruising.
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease. People with eczema have dry, itchy skin that can weep clear fluid when scratched. The disease also can make people more susceptible to bacterial, viral, and fungal skin infections. Eczema is the strongest risk factor for the development of food allergy. Severe forms of eczema can substantially affect quality of life. The causes of the condition remain unclear.
Food Allergy
NIAID is the lead institute at the National Institutes of Health conducting research on food allergy, a condition that affects approximately 8 percent of children and nearly 11 percent of adults in the United States. In a person with food allergy, the immune system reacts abnormally to a component of a food, sometimes producing a severe and life-threatening response.
Fungal Diseases
Fungi include a wide range of organisms, such as mushrooms, molds, and yeast, that are common outdoors in water, soil and air; indoors on surfaces; and on our skin and inside our bodies. Mold can worsen breathing problems in people with allergies or asthma, while various types of fungus can infect nails and cause skin rashes.
Genomics & Advanced Technologies
Research fields, such as genomics, proteomics, and systems biology, are creating a wealth of information about infectious and immune-mediated diseases. Through the use of advanced technologies, researchers are developing a clearer understanding of pathogens, disease, and host immunity.
Global Research
NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. For more than 60 years, NIAID research has led to new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies that have improved the health of millions of people in the United States and around the world.
Gonorrhea
NIAID supports a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program of research on N. gonorrhoeae that includes basic research on pathogens, improved diagnostics, preventive vaccines, and additional alternative treatments.
Group A Streptococcal Infections
Group A streptococcal (GAS) infections can range from a mild skin infection or a sore throat to severe, life-threatening conditions. Most people are familiar with strep throat, which along with minor skin infections, is the most common form of the disease.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Viruses are the most common cause of hepatitis, but the condition can also be caused by other infections, heavy alcohol use, toxins, certain medications, and autoimmune disease. There are five main virus types that cause hepatitis---type A, B, C, D, and E.
Herpes
Herpes, caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), has two subtypes—HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV can be transmitted through sexual contact. In severe cases HSV may lead to life-threatening or long-term complications, typically in the central nervous system. HSV is a leading cause of viral encephalitis—brain inflammation from a viral infection—and infectious blindness worldwide. Neonatal herpes, if left untreated, is fatal in 60% of cases.
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus, commonly known as HIV, is a virus that targets the immune system and can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. HIV can be transmitted through sexual intercourse, using needles that have been in contact with bodily fluids containing HIV, and during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding—a concept known as vertical transmission.
Human Papillomavirus
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. NIAID conducts and supports research to better understand papillomaviruses, develop new diagnostics that can detect HPV infection more accurately and rapidly, find new treatments (i.e., antivirals and novel targets for therapeutic development against HPV associated disease), and examine current HPV prevention strategies and the impact of behavior and age on HPV infection.