Metabolomic Analysis Of Plasmodum Falciparum And Mode Of Action Of Antimalarial Compounds
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$917,196.00
Summary
There is an urgent need to develop new drugs to treat malaria, one of the most important diseases to afflict humanity. We have developed new analytical approaches for measuring parasite metabolism while they live inside host cells. These approaches will be used to identify metabolic pathways that are essential for parasite infectivity and to understand the mode of action of new classes of antimalarial compounds
There is an urgent need to develop new drugs to treat human leishmaniasis, a disease that causes debilitating and life-threatening diseases in millions of people worldwide. This project will investigate whether it is possible to develop a new generation of drugs that target a novel metabolic pathway in these parasites that we have shown to be essential for virulence.
One third of the world's population is infected with the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, which can cause life-threatening infections. This proposal will utilize new analytical technologies to understand how these parasites are able to survive in a wide variety of different host cells, how they manage to persist within brain and muscle tissue for the life of the patient and how infection may be linked to mental health disorders, such as schizopohrenia.
Understanding And Targeting Coenzyme A Biosynthesis And Utilisation In Plasmodium Falciparum.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$556,114.00
Summary
This grant describes a series of studies designed to understand how the human malaria parasite P. falciparum metabolises vitamin B5, an essential molecule for the parasite. We will also carry out experiments to determine how a new series of vitamin B5 analogues we have developed kill the parasite and aim to start developing these compounds into new and much needed antimalarial medications.
Targeting Toxoplasma Gondii Latent Stages Responsible For Chronic Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$697,107.00
Summary
Many microbial pathogens become resistant to host immune response and drugs by entering a slow-growing, dormant state. These stages are commonly responsible for long term, chronic infections. We will investigate the molecular basis of dormancy in Toxoplasma gondii, which infects one in three people. These studies will identify metabolic pathways that are essential for dormancy with the view of developing new therapies for treating long term, recurrent infections.
Identifying Metabolic Pathways In Leishmania Parasites And Their Host Cells Required For Virulence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$989,110.00
Summary
Our lack of understanding of microbial metabolism in infected animal tissues has hindered the development of effective therapies. This is particularly true for many parasitic diseases, including Leishmania spp that cause devastating disease throughout the tropics. We will utilize a range of innovative analytical and genetic approaches to identify metabolic pathway in Leishmania parasites and infected host cells that are required for virulence and are potential drug targets.
Mechanism Of Neurological Complications In Cerebral Malaria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$53,609.00
Summary
Malaria kills 1 million young children every year. About the same number are saved by treatment with anti-malarial drugs but have brain damage, leading to problems of understanding, learning or memory. The processes in the brain that lead to these changes are unknown. I will investigate a biochemical pathway that is activated during malaria infection, because I propose that this may cause the brain damage that leads to the long-term cognitive problems in survivors.
Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetases as drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria is a major worldwide infectious disease. The disease kills around 2 million people every year, and current drugs are increasingly failing due to parasite drug resistance, creating an urgent demand for new drugs, that inhibit different targets. The Fellow will study a new class of parasite drug targets, the transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase enzymes to find novel inhibitors. Compounds blocking ....Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetases as drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria is a major worldwide infectious disease. The disease kills around 2 million people every year, and current drugs are increasingly failing due to parasite drug resistance, creating an urgent demand for new drugs, that inhibit different targets. The Fellow will study a new class of parasite drug targets, the transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase enzymes to find novel inhibitors. Compounds blocking these enzymes may lead to new drugs to combat malaria.Read moreRead less
Brain metabolic changes in experimental malaria: a paradigm for the molecular mechanisms of intravascular inflammation. Malaria is endemic in countries directly to the north of Australia, as close as Papua New Guinea and East Timor. This project's findings about malaria also will have relevance to other infectious diseases of national importance. The outcomes will contribute to Australia's research reputation. We will build international links that will increase the national knowledge base and r ....Brain metabolic changes in experimental malaria: a paradigm for the molecular mechanisms of intravascular inflammation. Malaria is endemic in countries directly to the north of Australia, as close as Papua New Guinea and East Timor. This project's findings about malaria also will have relevance to other infectious diseases of national importance. The outcomes will contribute to Australia's research reputation. We will build international links that will increase the national knowledge base and research skill base. Young scientists will be trained in state-of-the-art research techniques in a cross-disciplinary environment that is the way of future biological research. The project may identify potential drug targets for malaria or other infectious diseases. The Intellectual Property will be protected and commercialised.Read moreRead less