MicroRNA Biomarkers for Parasite Macrofilariae

Paul McVeigh from Queen's University of Belfast in the United Kingdom will develop a diagnostic for filarial infections, which are caused by parasitic nematodes (roundworms) and can cause severe pain and disability. He will screen serum samples from filariasis patients to identify circulating microRNAs associated with the presence specifically of adult parasitic nematodes (macrofilariae) as candidate diagnostic biomarkers. As macrofilariae commonly evade existing diagnostics and are resistant to some treatments, this approach could substantially improve elimination efforts of this highly prevalent disease.