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IMMUNOLOGYPrevious research results The Parasite Disease Group research the molecular and functional characterization of Leishmania virulence factors, molecules and processes involved in the biological events leading to the infection progression and immunopathology aiming to the identification of new attractive Leishmania therapeutic targets Some major observations could be summarized as follows:
Project support: 2014-2018 - “Clinical Studies on a Multivalent Vaccine for Human Visceral Leishmaniasis” HEALTH.2013.2.3.0-1: Innovation in vaccines. FP7-HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1. - COST Action CM1307: Targeted chemotherapy towards diseases caused by endoparasites. - COST Action BM1202: European network on microvesicls and exosomes in Health and Disease (ME-HAD) 2014-2017 - “New Medicines for Trypanosomatidic Infections”. - HEALTH.2013.2.3.4-2: Drug development for neglected parasitic diseases. - FP7- HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1 2013-2016 - “Kinetoplastid Drug Development: strengthening the preclinical pipeline”. HEALTH.2013.2.3.4-2: Drug development for neglected parasitic diseases. - FP7- HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1 2012-2015 - Project (PTDC/BIA-MC/11866/2011) “Cell communication by Leishmania microvesicles” Cell communication by leishmania microvesiclesOur research project will use the knowhow acquired over the last few years in the group to accomplish concise and specific goals concerning the importance of MVs in parasite-parasite communication and parasite-host interaction. In that sense, the current project will encompass the following objectives:
Drugs against neglected parasitic diseasesThe trypanosomatid diseases, Leishmaniasis, Human African trypanosomiasis and Chagas disease, continue to impart a heavy toll on human health, affecting millions of people worldwide, particularly those living in the economically poorest countries.The handful of treatments available to control this enormous heath burden is limited by serious adverse effects, high costs, difficulties in administration and the ever advancing spectre of drug resistance. Whilst several drug candidates are under review at the preclinical trials stage, the pipeline remains sparse. There has been general market inertia to translate recent scientific and technological advances into the discovery of potent, safe drug candidates against this devastating group of protozoan parasites. The KINDReD consortium has been drawn together from academia and industry to strengthen and advance the current drug development pipeline. Our ambition is to bring much needed new drug candidates through the preclinical development process with the ultimate aim of gaining regulatory approval for initial phase I clinical trials for each of disease. http://kindred-fp7.com/ -New medicines for trypanosomatidic infections- The infectious diseases burden imposed by the parasites of Trypanosomatidae family represents a huge problem on people’s lives in countries where diseases are endemic. Problems associated with existing drugs include inefficient delivery, insufficient efficacy, excessive toxicity and increasing resistance. New drugs are urgently needed. The project uses a highly interdisciplinary approach to optimize pteridine, benzothiazoleand miltefosine derivatives as well as natural products against Trypanosomatids. Health FP7 2013-2016 NMTrypl -Clinical Studies on a Multivalent Vaccine for Human Visceral Leishmaniasis- The World Health Organisation in its report on Neglected Tropical Diseases has stated that there is overwhelming evidence to show that the burden caused by many of the 17 diseases that affect more than 1billion people worldwide can be effectively controlled and, in many cases, eliminated or even eradicated. Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania spp is one of them and poses a grave health risk to an estimated 350 million people across the world. Among the three clinical patterns of Leishmaniasis (cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral), Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala azar is the most severe in terms of symptoms and clinical complications. If left untreated, the disease can have a fatality rate as high as 100%. Only few drugs are available in the foreseeable future for treating patients from this disease. The development of a human vaccine against Leishmania is an achievable goal. In endemic areas, the majority of infected persons do not develop clinical symptoms and past infection leads to robust immunity against reinfection. In our approach, we mimic a natural infection cycle of Leishmania, by introducing the recombinant protein LJM11 from the sand fly saliva and two other components of Leishmania infantum based on well proven effective recombinant proteins from Leishmania: KMP11 and a recombinant fusion protein SMT-NH. These components will be formulated with a strong TLR4 agonist, already tested in humans, to enhance and modulate the immune response. This innovative vaccine will be tested at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, which already has experience in conducting clinical trials with Leishmania vaccines. The phase I/II clinical trial will be immunologically monitored by experienced institutions from EU and US. A European SME would have most of the benefits of this project: it would allow to further develop a vaccine against this neglected disease and increase the possibility to out-license this vaccine for commercialization. Health FP7 2013-2018 MuLeVaClin https://cordis.europa.eu/wire/index.cfm?fuseaction=article.Detail&rcn=41668
Application of an improved elisa method for the serological diagnosis of canine leishmaniasisAnother topic of the investigations conducted by the team concerns the improvement of diagnostic tools. We reported a strategy of using well-defined Leishmania antigens, which proved to be a sensitive and specific improvement to current serological diagnosis of CanL, being a useful tool for the detection of both clinical and subclinical forms of canine Leishmania infection.
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Last update: 2014-09-18 I Page created on: 2024-11-09 at 03:29:08 | Acceptable Use Policy | Data Protection Policy | Complaint Portal
Last update: 2014-09-18 I Page created on: 2024-11-09 at 03:29:08 | Acceptable Use Policy | Data Protection Policy | Complaint Portal