Genomic-based Tools To Support The Control Of Urogenital Schistosomiasis And Hepatic Opisthorchiasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,180.00
Summary
Over 100 million people are affected by parasitic flukes that promote malignant tumours. Parasite control depends on a single drug, making resistance an imminent threat. I will deliver new genomic tools to unravel the complex interactions between parasites and humans, and explore parasite population diversity on a continental scale. I will then prioritise a panel of anti-parasitic drug targets and vaccine candidates to deliver the next generation of interventions against parasitic diseases.
Genome-based Tools To Support Urogenital Schistosomiasis Control
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$429,644.00
Summary
More than 100 million sub-Saharan Africans have urogenital schistosomiasis, a disease that promotes malignant cancer and HIV/AIDS. Control depends on a single drug, making resistance an imminent threat. We will deliver new molecular tools to assess parasite genetic diversity and to prioritise a panel of anti-parasitic drug targets and vaccine candidates. These outcomes will deliver the next generation of interventions against urogenital schistosomiasis.
Comparative And Evolutionary Genomics Of Schistosomes –Identifying Genes Associated With Parasitism, And Novel Drug And Vaccine Targets
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$352,229.00
Summary
Schistosomiasis remains an important cause of human illness and death globally. My project proposes comparative genomics and evolutionary analysis of recently sequenced schistosome taxa and all publicly available flatworm genomes. The study will provide novel insights into identifying gene functions and pathways important for the parasite-host interaction, reveal novel candidate anti-schistosome drug or vaccine targets, and identify genes associated with bladder tumorogenesis in S. haematobium.
Compounded by massive global food and water shortages, neglected tropical disease (NTD) pathogens have a devastating and long-term impact on billions of humans worldwide. Unlocking the fundamental molecular biology of these pathogens, particularly carcinogens, employing a raft of Frontier Technologies, will lead to new ways of controlling NTDs and will have substantial outcomes through the development of new drugs, vaccines and/or diagnostic tests. We will use cutting-edge molecular technologies ....Compounded by massive global food and water shortages, neglected tropical disease (NTD) pathogens have a devastating and long-term impact on billions of humans worldwide. Unlocking the fundamental molecular biology of these pathogens, particularly carcinogens, employing a raft of Frontier Technologies, will lead to new ways of controlling NTDs and will have substantial outcomes through the development of new drugs, vaccines and/or diagnostic tests. We will use cutting-edge molecular technologies to tackle this area head-on.Read moreRead less
My research team is focused on human parasites of major relevance to the Australian water industry and/or global public health. Our primary focus is the use of advanced technologies to improve understanding of these parasites and to utilize this information to underpin development of new drugs to treat them and novel diagnostic tests to improve their control.
A Targeted Molecular Approach To Treating Scabies And Associated Bacterial Infections.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$518,334.00
Summary
Chronic infestation of human skin with parasitic scabies mites is a severe health burden in Australian Indigenous communities and other disadvantaged communities around the world. Secondary infections with bacteria exacerbate this skin problem, with long-term, systemic and often fatal consequences including rheumatic heart disease. Analyses of the scabies mite genome and associated bacteria will accelerate biomedical research toward improved treatment and control of this neglected disease.
MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO OVERCOME SCABIES AND ASSOCIATED DISEASE. Scabies causes childhood pyoderma predisposing to severe disease in later life. It is a major increasing health burden in Indigenous people of Northern Australia. Drug resistance is developing in mites and bacteria. The lack of clinical material has hampered molecular research and this work will use comparative genomics of parasitic and free living mites and microbiome analysis to understand fundamental aspects of mite biology and ....MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO OVERCOME SCABIES AND ASSOCIATED DISEASE. Scabies causes childhood pyoderma predisposing to severe disease in later life. It is a major increasing health burden in Indigenous people of Northern Australia. Drug resistance is developing in mites and bacteria. The lack of clinical material has hampered molecular research and this work will use comparative genomics of parasitic and free living mites and microbiome analysis to understand fundamental aspects of mite biology and pathogenesis. The understanding of proteins that are essential for mite survival and interfere with host defences will allow the informed design of peptide inhibitors as a new strategy to develop alternative treatment options.Read moreRead less