Showing Grants 1 to 10 of 25 |
| A New Tool for Anti-Malarial Target Gene Validation |
| | Philip Shaw, BIOTEC, Pathumthani, Thailand - TH |
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Philip J. Shaw of Thailand’s National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology will seek to identify potential drug targets and vaccine antigens in the malaria parasite using a novel technology to reduce specific gene expression. By fusing a natural genetic “riboswitch” onto gene targets, the team will attempt to attenuate gene expression and thereby determine gene function. |
| A Novel Virulence-Associated Malaria Drug Target |
| | Paul Gilson, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - AU |
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Paul Gilson of Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health in Australia will study the function of a newly discovered malaria parasite mechanism that exports proteins into host red blood cells in an effort to develop compounds that block this transfer and inhibit parasite growth. |
| An Endothelial Reservoir for Malaria? |
| | Michael Leibowitz, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States - US |
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Michael Leibowitz of the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in the U.S. will investigate whether malaria parasites bind to, invade and replicate in the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels to test the theory that endothelial cells play an important role in the development of malaria infection and may serve as undiscovered reservoirs for parasite latency. |
| An Immunity-Enhancing Beverage |
| | Steven Maranz, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, United States - US |
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Steven Maranz of Weill Medical College in the U.S. will test the hypothesis that providing children high levels of flavanols, compounds found in chocolate, green tea, cola and shea nuts, deprives malaria parasites of lipids needed to survive, keeping parasite infection at levels low enough to elicit a strong immune response that builds lifelong immunity. |
| Artificial Triggering of Malaria Parasite Relapse |
| | Lena Hulden, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland - FI |
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Lena Hulden of the University of Helsinki in Finland will test the hypothesis that saliva from newly emerging mosquitoes activates dormant P. vivax parasites in the liver. By robust statistical analysis of the timing of P. vivax outbreaks, as well as molecular analysis of mosquito saliva, Hulden hopes to eventually identify the trigger for these relapses in hopes of controlling outbreaks. |
| Bacterial Viruses as Tool for Blocking Transmission of Malaria |
| | Luiz Ozaki, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States - US |
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Luiz Ozaki and Gail E. Christie of Virginia Commonwealth University in the U.S. will genetically engineer bacterial viruses to carry peptides that block the development of the malaria parasites, survive in the mosquito gut, and spread through vector populations. If successful, these bacteriophages could be used as “gene dissemination tools” for effective control of the malaria. |
| Cell Phone Microscopy for Malaria Diagnosis |
| | Daniel Fletcher, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States - US |
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Daniel Fletcher of the University of California, Berkeley in the U.S. will develop a microscope that attaches to cell phones to capture high-contrast fluorescent images of malaria parasites. Custom software on the phone will automatically count the parasite load, with results and patient information wirelessly transmitted to clinical centers for tracking. |
| Drugs That Inhibit Malaria Infection and Block Transmission |
| | Victor Nussenzweig, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States - US |
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Victor Nussenzweig of the New York University School of Medicine in the U.S. seeks to develop a small molecule drugs to inhibit key kinase enzymes in the malaria parasite that are thought to control latency in parasite infections. Such fundamental knowledge may enable new tools to clear the latent forms of P. vivax parasites or block transmission of the disease by targeting sporozoites. |
| Eradication of Malaria through the Development of Host Directed Therapy |
| | Simon Foote, Menzies Research Institute, Hobart Tasmania, Australia - AU |
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Simon Foote of the Menzies Research Institute at the University of Tasmania in Australia will use "forward genetic screening" approaches identify mutations that confer resistance after exposure to malaria parasites. The team will use this powerful information to develop drug therapies that target the human host and mimic these protective genetic effects. |
| Fermentation Based Mosquito Repelling Device |
| | Peter Yiga, AdhocWorks Foundation, Johannesburg, South Africa - ZA |
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Peter Lubega Yiga of AdhocWorks Foundation in South Africa will test the efficacy of small household containers in which a non-toxic formulation is mixed with water, releasing carbon dioxide and alcohol vapors as a way to repel mosquitos. The investigators will test the device in independent field trials to optimize its usefulness as an alternative to insecticides. |