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.
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.
Malaria infection affects many millions around the world each year. This project brings together scientists working on mouse models of malaria and on clinical studies of malaria in Africa and Asia, with mathematicians and physicists who will analyse and model their experimental data. The project involves 'data mining' to apply novel statistical and mathematical modelling approaches to understand how the immune system controls malaria infection.
The Role Of Exosome-like Vesicles In Cell-cell Communication Between P. Falciparum-infected Red Blood Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$629,058.00
Summary
Cell-cell communication is a critically important mechanism for information exchange promoting cell survival by control of features such as population density and differentiation state. Malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We have shown that P. falciparum-infected red blood cells directly communicate between parasites within a population using small vesicles that are capable of delivering genes and signals. Our work aims to understand this process.
Targeting Commitment To Sexual Differentiation In Plasmodium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$688,954.00
Summary
Efforts to control malaria in endemic areas are very often thwarted by "carriers", who have transmissible parasites in their bloodstream (called gametocytes), but who suffer no symptoms. These gametocytes serve as a reservoir ready to reinitiate disease transmission when mosquito numbers increase. This project will develop urgently needed strategies to target gametocytes, and thus block malaria transmission.
Human Malarial Immunity And Assessment Of Emerging Artemisinin Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$312,570.00
Summary
Resistance to antimalarial drugs is a major global threat for malaria treatment, control and elimination. Assessment of the spread of resistance is severely impeded by the presence of host immunity. This project will identify population biomarkers of immunity during antimalarial treatment to include in studies of antimalarial resistance. These findings will facilitate the correct assessment of the global spread of antimalarial resistance.
Investigating The Therapeutic Potential Of FTY720 For Human African Trypanosomiasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,736.00
Summary
FTY720, is a drug currently used to treat multiple sclerosis, which we have shown is also be able to kill the parasite responsible for African sleeping sickness, Trypanosomes. We aim to identify the target the drug acts on in the parasite to have its affect. Our objective is to improve the activity further by chemical modification to produce a potent, orally available and well characterised, non-toxic drug suitable for preclinical development.
Export Of PfEMP1, The Major Virulence Protein Of P. Falciparum, To The Parasite-infected Erythrocyte Surface
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$588,532.00
Summary
The malaria parasite infects red blood cells in the human host and initiates major remodelling. This involves export of a major virulence protein to the surface of the red blood cell. This research seeks to understand how the parasite exports this protein, a key determinant of disease.
Schistosomiasis is a major public health problem in the Philippines with approximately 6.7 million people at risk of infection. Mass human chemotherapy has formed the cornerstone of control for decades but has failed to control the disease. Transmission reduction is a key step towards elimination and integrated interventions should target both definitive and intermediate host transmission pathways. We propose to trial integrated control strategies for the disease and expect the outcomes to have ....Schistosomiasis is a major public health problem in the Philippines with approximately 6.7 million people at risk of infection. Mass human chemotherapy has formed the cornerstone of control for decades but has failed to control the disease. Transmission reduction is a key step towards elimination and integrated interventions should target both definitive and intermediate host transmission pathways. We propose to trial integrated control strategies for the disease and expect the outcomes to have broader implications for Southeast Asia.Read moreRead less
Identifying Malaria PfEMP1 Proteins That Elicit Antibodies Associated With Protection From Cerebral Malaria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,117.00
Summary
The malaria parasite changes molecules it uses to cause disease, this alters its appearance so it can escape people's immune response. However some of these molecules are similar in the parasites that cause the most severe disease. We aim to identify these similar molecules because they may make useful vaccines for protecting people from severe malaria disease.