Infectious Disease

Human liver flukes, O. viverrini, O. felineus and C. sinensis remain important public health problems in many parts of the world. Recent reports suggested that about 35 million people are infected with C. sinensis globally; with up to 15 million human infections in China and another 8--10 million individuals infected with O. viverrini in Thailand and Laos Three years ago Dr. Sripa and colleagues initiated a pilot project (The Lawa Model) in the Lawa Lakes region of Khon Kaen employing this integrated, bottom-up approach.

Our bold idea is to make a low-cost, highly sensitive, easy-to-use diagnostic tool for the detection of lymphatic filariasis. Its early stage detection reduces the morbidity rate and prevent permanent damage to internal organs caused by the disease.

Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is the second most common cause of blindness due to infection. Although new and effective drugs for treating Onchocerciasis are available, current diagnostic methods are slow, invasive and insensitive. 'Onchoflash' is an important new diagnostic tool using fluorescent markers in the form of a skin patch that provides users an easy to read, bright readout,.

The proposed idea is to use a permanent make-up (or tattoo) device, a proven technology of the cosmetic sector, to a) target intra-dermal administration of an anti-cutaneous leishmaniasis therapy, and b) deliver and concentrate the drug in professional phagocytes, the exclusive replicative niche of the Leishmania parasites"

Visceral leishmaniasis is among the most deadly infectious diseases of the developing world. There now exists effective treatments. It is however necessary to develop effective diagnosis to ensure treatment is provided to those in need. This project will develop rapid diagnostic test able to detect Leishmania in the blood.

We have discovered that thread can be used to transport liquids in a controlled manner and developed them for making diagnostic tests, akin to the well known pregnancy tests. We will further develop this technology and build low-cost, thread-based rapid diagnostic tests for Leishmanaisis, and other infectious diseases.

Better tests are urgently needed for visceral leishmaniasis, which causes more deaths per year than any parasitic disease except malaria. Safe, simple and non-invasive, Dr. Cedric Yansouni's new approach to testing for visceral leishmaniasis in low-resource settings is a unique non-invasive test that (i) addresses key gaps in current diagnostic capabilities and (ii) has the potential to be scaled-up using an electricity-free platform.

Pradeep Das of Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences in India will determine how to ensure that people with Visceral Leishmaniasis, a neglected infectious disease of poverty in Bihar, India, receive the necessary point-of-care diagnosis needed to receive treatment and save lives. Many people die from this disease because they do not receive the available diagnosis and treatment.

Identification of Novel Vaccine Candidates for African Trypanosomiasis

This project will develop a low-cost nucleic acid detection test that will enable rapid detection of pathogens that cause sleeping sickness in Africa and Chagas’ disease in South America, both in vectors and human. This will strengthen surveillance activities and enhance monitoring of therapeutic outcome in resource-poor endemic areas.