Polysaccharide Biosynthesis As A New Drug Target In Leishmania Parasites
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,517.00
Summary
Leishmania are protozoan parasites that cause a number of important diseases in humans, afflicting more than 12 million people worldwide. There are currently few drugs that target infectious disease causing stages of these parasites. We have recently shown that Leishmania parasites accumulate a highly unusual sugar polymer when they infect mammalian cells, which appears to be important for infectivity. In this proposal , we will investigate how this sugar polymer is made, identify enzymes involv ....Leishmania are protozoan parasites that cause a number of important diseases in humans, afflicting more than 12 million people worldwide. There are currently few drugs that target infectious disease causing stages of these parasites. We have recently shown that Leishmania parasites accumulate a highly unusual sugar polymer when they infect mammalian cells, which appears to be important for infectivity. In this proposal , we will investigate how this sugar polymer is made, identify enzymes involved in its synthesis and develop new chemical tools for generating highly specific inhibitors of Leishmania sugar biosynthesis. This project will provide new insights into processes that are essential for the survival and infectivity of an improtant group of human pathogens, and lead to the development of new classes of enzyme inhibitors with anti-parasite activity.Read moreRead less
We will investigate malaria, a parasitic disease that kills over 630,000 people a year. We will explore the function of proteins responsible for cleaving and activating a cascade of proteins important in infection of humans and transmission of the parasite to mosquitoes. We will characterize the proteins involved in these critical events, as they are potential targets for drugs.
Pathways To Improved, Sustainable Morbidity Control And Prevention Of Schistosomiasis In The People's Republic Of China.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,329,712.00
Summary
600 million Chinese are infected with parasites. One of the most important of these is the Asia or Oriental human bloodfluke, Schistosoma japonicum. It causes schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), a very serious and debilitating disease and a major health problem for more than 40 million Chinese living in Southern China. Infection occurs when people make contact with water contaminated by microscopically small cercariae larvae that are released from freshwater snails. As well as humans, Schistosoma japon ....600 million Chinese are infected with parasites. One of the most important of these is the Asia or Oriental human bloodfluke, Schistosoma japonicum. It causes schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), a very serious and debilitating disease and a major health problem for more than 40 million Chinese living in Southern China. Infection occurs when people make contact with water contaminated by microscopically small cercariae larvae that are released from freshwater snails. As well as humans, Schistosoma japonicum infects a number of other mammals, such as water buffaloes, which complicates control efforts. Current control is based on treatment with the drug parziquantel. Vaccines in combination with other control methods, including the use of new drugs, are needed to make elimination of the disease possible. This new program of research has a very strong emphasis on mutual research training and scientific interaction that will: determine whether another drug, artemether, can be used as an aid in control; increase our understanding of the immunological and genetic processes involved in the development of the disease of schistosomiasis; determine the importance of buffalo infections in maintaining human schistosomiasis transmission; undertake genomics and post-genomics research on existing and new discovered S. japonicum molecules that are candidates as new vaccines and diagnostics; and develop a mathematical model that can predict the optimum methods for the sustained control of schistosomiasis in China.Read moreRead less
Hydatid infection is caused by a parasite that is transmitted by livestock animals. This project will develop a treatment for livestock animals which, when used in combination with a vaccine against the parasite, will improve the effectiveness of efforts to prevent the disease being transmitted through animals. I indirectly this will lead to a reduction in the number of new cases of hydatid disease world wide.
Harnessing Systems Biology To Tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) have a devastating, long-term impact on billions of humans globally. No vaccines are available, and mass treatment strategies are leading to drug resistance. Thus, there is a major need to develop radically new and advanced interventions. By creating substantially enhanced and automated bioinformatics tools, I will unlock the fundamental molecular biology of key NTDs to underpin the design of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics as translational outcomes.
Conquering Schistosomiasis In China: The Last Mile
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,432,780.00
Summary
Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), caused by Schistosoma bloodflukes, is an ancient disease in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). After decades of control, the Chinese authorities have slated their intention to eliminate the disease by 2020. However, current diagnostic methods underestimate the true infection rates so we contend this target is unattainable. Supplementation of current control measures with additional public health interventions will be required to achieve the goal of elimination.