Showing grants 1 to 10 of 305 | Diagnosis of Pneumonia Using Sound Recordings | | | Udantha Abeyratne, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Udantha Abeyratne of the University of Queensland in Australia proposes using low-cost devices such as mobile phones and mp3 players equipped with microphones to record cough and sleeping sounds that do not require direct contact with the patient. Recording will be analyzed using new algorithms in human speech analysis to identify sounds that characterize the presence of pneumonia. |
| Development of a Genetically-Attenuated Live Malaria Vaccine | | | Krystal Evans, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Krystal Evans of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Australia will knock out several proteins that support the expression of the major virulence factor for the malaria parasite. Their aim is create a genetically-attenuated live malaria vaccine that elicits a strong immune response against diverse strains of the parasite. |
| New Screening Technologies for Drug Discovery of Latent Malaria Infections | | | Ronald Quinn, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Ronald Quinn of Griffith University in Australia will attempt to discover chemical fragments drawn from a variety of natural sources that bind to proteins expressed by the malaria parasite in its latent stage. By identifying compounds that target proteins involved in key metabolic and energy pathways of latency, the team may uncover important new drug therapies. |
| A Novel Virulence-Associated Malaria Drug Target | | | Paul Gilson, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - AU |
| | | | | 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. |
| Vaccine for HIV Using a Novel Mucosal Vector and Adjuvant | | | Stephen Kent, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Stephen Kent and John Stambas of the University of Melbourne in Australia will develop and test an attenuated influenza virus vector with an adjuvant that stimulates natural killer cells. The goal of this approach is to induce robust immunity at mucosal surfaces to HIV, which is important in both prevention and control of infection. |
| Malaria Detection Using Earth’s Magnetic Field | | | Viktor Vegh, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Viktor Vegh of The University of Queensland in Australia will test the efficacy of using low-cost nuclear magnetic resonance technologies that take advantage of earth’s magnetic field to detect malaria parasites. The team will examine blood samples to detect hemozoin, a waste product of malarial parasites, to determine the presence of malaria infection |
| Malaria Diagnosis Using Iron and Plasma | | | Jackie Obey, University of Eastern Africa, Eldoret, Kenya - KE |
| | | | | Jackie Obey of the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton in Kenya will test the efficacy of a diagnostic test for malaria in which small amounts of blood are mixed with an iron solution to create vibrant colors that indicate the amount of a protein released by the malaria parasite. |
| Fermentation Based Mosquito Repelling Device | | | Peter Yiga, AdhocWorks Foundation, Johannesburg, South Africa - ZA |
| | | | | 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. |
| Maternal Immunization to Protect Infants Against Malaria | | | Margaret Njoroge, Med Biotech Laboratories, Kampala, Uganda - UG |
| | | | | Margaret Njoroge and Thomas Egwang of Med Biotech Laboratories in Uganda will develop and test an intranasal vaccine to be administered to young women before pregnancy, and again after childbirth, to confer anti-malarial immunity in their babies. |
| Pre-Season Elimination of Malaria Infections | | | Sungano Mharakurwa, Malaria Institute at Macha, Choma, Zambia - ZM |
| | | | | Sungano Mharakurwa of the Malaria Institute in Zambia proposes to take advantage of the “off-season” in regions affected by malaria. The team will identify asymptomatic carriers of the malaria parasite using a simple, non-invasive diagnostic tool using saliva samples which can be easily used by village community workers. Those individuals will be treated to eliminate the parasite before it can be transmitted during the rainy season, when malaria cases increase. |
Showing grants 11 to 20 of 305 | Dendritic Cell Receptor-Targeted Malaria Vaccines | | | Rajan George, Paladin Biosciences, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - CA |
| | | | | Rajan George of Paladin Biosciences, a division of Paladin Labs Inc. in Canada will produce a vaccine with multiple malaria antigens to target dendritic cell receptors and without the need for an adjuvant, in an effort to induce both antibody and cell-mediated immune responses to the malaria parasite at various stages of the infection. |
| Microfluidic Isolation of Red Cells Infected With Malaria | | | Hongshen Ma, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada - CA |
| | | | | Hongshen Ma of the University of British Columbia in Canada will develop an inexpensive hand-held device consisting of a series of funnels of decreasing size that will separate healthy red-blood cells, which can easily squeeze through openings, from malaria-parasite infected blood cells which become more rigid. A simple integrated optical sensor would then count stained cells in these various stages to determine the state of infection and inform treatment options. |
| Improving the Immunogenicity of HIV Envelope Glycoproteins | | | Michel Gilbert, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - CA |
| | | | | Michel Gilbert of the National Research Council Canada will use the single-celled microorganism T. acidophilum to produce HIV proteins with unique sugar residues found only in archaebacteria such as T. acidophilum. By modifying these glycan structures to ones not recognized by humans, Gilbert hopes to elicit a stronger immune response against the virus. |
| K+ Channel Blockers for Malaria Control | | | Lourival Possani, Institute of Biotechnology - National University of Mexico, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico - MX |
| | | | | Lourival Possani of the Institute of Biotechnology at the National University of Mexico will investigate the antimalarial effects of scorpine, a newly identified peptide found in the venom of scorpions. The team will test scorpine’s efficacy in blocking K+ channels used by malaria parasites to replicate in mosquitoes. Creating a new generation of malaria-resistant mosquitoes can aid in the eradication of the disease in humans. |
| Malaria Transmission Blocking Vaccines (TBV) Boosted By Natural Exposure | | | Kailash Patra, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Kailash Patra of the University of California, San Diego in the U.S. will use proteomics to examine gametocyte, zygote, or ookinete surface proteins of the malaria parasite to test their reactivity to human serum collected from malaria endemic regions, and to identify new antigen candidates for malaria vaccines. |
| Humanized Mouse Model for Malaria Research | | | Moriya Tsuji, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, New York, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | Moriya Tsuji of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in the U.S. will test whether the human malaria parasite can infect mice engineered with humanized livers and red blood cells by producing human erythropoietin. The goal of this project is part of a larger effort to create a mouse model capable of supporting the full malaria life cycle for use in preclinical testing of new anti-malarial therapies and vaccines. |
| Drugs That Inhibit Malaria Infection and Block Transmission | | | Victor Nussenzweig, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | 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. |
| “Coffee Ring Stain” Diagnostics for Malaria | | | David Wright, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States - US |
| | | | | David Wright of Vanderbilt University in the U.S. will develop a new low-cost diagnostic tool in which a droplet of malaria-infected blood deposited on a glass slide will, based on fluid dynamics, leave a ring-like pattern as the blood evaporates. The slide will be prepared with a solution that will interact with a particular protein of the malaria parasite to visualize this "coffee ring stain," allowing for easy interpretation and ready diagnosis. |
| Transmission-Blocking Vaccine Based on Malaria Gamete Surface Protein | | | Nirbhay Kumar, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | Nirbhay Kumar of Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. will use a technique called codon harmonization to fully and correctly express a complex malaria gamete surface protein. The sexual stages of malaria parasites have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to antibody targeting. This approach may be able to block the transmission of malaria in insect vectors. |
| Using Exercise to Improve Pneumococcal Vaccine Efficiency | | | Kate Edwards, University of California, La Jolla, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Kate Edwards of University of California, San Diego in the U.S. will test the theory that brief bouts of exercise consisting of cycling and weight lifting will increase antibody and cell-mediated responses to a pneumococcal vaccination administered immediately after the physical activity. |
Showing grants 21 to 30 of 305 | Ghost HIV Virus to Stimulate the Immune System | | | Paul Kim, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | Paul Kim of Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. will modify HIV by removing the viral genome and replacing the outer domain of the gp120 protein, used by the virus to invade host immune cells, with receptors normally used by gp120 to bind to host cells. When this modified ghost virus encounters native HIV during an infection, hidden epitopes are exposed to the host immune system, stimulating antibodies to clear the infection. |
| Identifying Drugs to Block Transmission | | | Matthias Marti, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Matthias Marti of the Harvard School of Public Health in the U.S. will utilize a newly developed transgenic malaria parasite that expresses GFP indicating when the parasites are ready to be transmitted to mosquitoes. He will use this technology to screen for compounds that can prevent the development of these gametocytes. |
| An Endothelial Reservoir for Malaria? | | | Michael Leibowitz, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States - US |
| | | | | 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. |
| Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase to Treat and Prevent Diarrhea | | | Madhu Malo, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Madhu Malo of Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in the U.S. will investigate whether maintaining the normal intestinal commensal bacteria using oral supplementation of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), a small intestinal brush-border enzyme, will prevent or cure infection by pathogenic bacteria. A successful project would generate a universal prophylactic and therapeutic strategy against diarrheal diseases. |
| Microalgal Mediated Eradication of Malarial Mosquito Larvae | | | Richard Sayre, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, United States - US |
| | | | | Richard Sayre of Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in the U.S. will develop and test a transgenic algae that delivers interference RNA (RNAi) elements to mosquito larvae when they feed on it. These RNAi will silence essential genes used by the larvae to develop, thus killing mosquitoes before they can transmit malaria. |
| Vaccines Against Diarrhea Causing Gram Negative Bacteria | | | Sangeeta Joshi, University of Kansas, Lawrence, United States - US |
| | | | | Sangeeta Joshi of the Middaugh laboratory at the University of Kansas in the U.S. will develop a novel polymer vaccine composed of assembled versions of “needle” and “tip” surface proteins used by Shigella and Salmonella pathogens to trigger bacterial invasion in human intestinal cells, and test it for its ability to induce antibody response. |
| Highly Sensitive TB Detection using a Paper Cup | | | Scott Phillips, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States - US |
| | | | | Scott Phillips, of Pennsylvania State University in the U.S. proposes to develop a polymer reagent to be deposited at the bottom of a small paper cup used to collect a sputum sample, where it will detect proteins secreted by tuberculosis and turn indicate TB-positive samples by changing color. |
| Targeted Oral Vaccines to Induce Cellular & Mucosal Immunity | | | Jennifer Maynard, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States - US |
| | | | | Jennifer Maynard and Nicholas Peppas of the University of Texas at Austin in the U.S. seeks to engineer proteins to be delivered by oral polymeric vaccine that specifically bind to receptors of M cells on the gut mucosa. By targeting these M cells, antigens can be introduced directly to the mucosal system, inducing a targeted, stronger immune response. |
| MALiVA: A Malaria Immunodiagnostic for Saliva-borne Antigens | | | Andrew Fung, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Andrew Fung, Jack Judy and Theodore Moore at the University of California, Los Angeles in the U.S., along with Michel Bergeron of l’Université Laval in Canada, will work to identify molecular markers of malaria present in saliva in order to develop a chewing gum diagnostic tool called “MALiVA.” During chewing, particles in the gum will react with these malaria proteins, which can be detected and characterized when this device is scanned with a magnet. |
| Infrared Signature of Malaria Infection | | | Wei Lu, The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States - US |
| | | | | Wei Lu of the University of Michigan in the U.S. will test the theory that red blood cells infected with malaria have significantly different characteristics when subjected to light in ultra-far infrared spectrum. Using these techniques, this project aims to develop a non-invasive tool to scan capillaries near the body surface and diagnose malaria. |
Showing grants 31 to 40 of 305 | Genetic Fossils Used As Vaccine Targets for HIV | | | Jonah Sacha, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States - US |
| | | | | Because HIV infection activates endogenous retroviruses (ERV) in human cells, which are naturally dormant, Jonah Sacha of the University of Wisconsin in the U.S. will target T-cells against these ERV antigens. If true, new host-directed vaccines could be developed to eliminate HIV infected cells. |
| Lensless Microscope for Diagnostics | | | Changhuei Yang, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Changhuei Yang of the California Institute of Technology in the U.S. will evaluate the feasibility of using a "microscope on a chip" along with a hand-held reader to detect and analyze cells and parasites in bodily fluids. If successful; this technology, which does not use traditional lenses, could provide diagnostic capabilities for a wide range of diseases including malaria. |
| Potentiating Mucosal Vaccines by RANKL Induction of M Cells | | | Ifor Williams, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States - US |
| | | | | Ifor Williams of Emory University School of Medicine in the U.S. will test the theory that a newly characterized cytokine that triggers the development of M cells can be used as an adjuvant to boost immunity in mucosal surfaces and lead to greater uptake of vaccines. |
| Humanized Mouse: Recapitulate P. falciparum/vivax Cycle | | | Joseph Vinetz, University of California, La Jolla, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Joseph Vinetz of the University of California, San Diego in the U.S. will attempt to create a new mouse model that mimics both human liver and blood cell function. These new mouse models should allow human malaria parasites to complete their full life cycle in the models and provide a new tool for testing anti-malarial strategies, including drugs and vaccines. |
| A Novel Approach of Creating an Attenuated Pneumonia Vaccine | | | Vijay Pancholi, The Ohio State University Research Foundation, Columbus, OH, United States - US |
| | | | | Vijay Pancholi of The Ohio State University Research Foundation in the U.S. will attempt to attenuate the S. pneumonia bacteria by altering export of the GAPDH enzyme, a function thought to be essential to the bacteria’s survival. Preventing export of this key enzyme will decrease bacterial virulence, allowing the attenuated strain to be used for development an affordable live vaccine for pneumococcal pneumonia. |
| Vitamin A to Induce Gut Homing of Immune Cells | | | David Schwartz, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ, United States - US |
| | | | | David Schwartz of Hackensack University Medical Center in the U.S. will test an intradermal injection that increases levels of vitamin A and blocks vitamin D3 metabolism. These important mechanisms can “educate” B cells to home to the gut and to make mucosal antibodies against many viruses, including HIV. |
| Engineered H. pylori as a Diarrheal Vaccine Platform | | | Martin Blaser, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | Martin Blaser of the New York University School of Medicine in the U.S. proposes to engineer a harmless modification of H. pylori, a bacteria commonly found in the human stomach, to deliver antigens to protect against intestinal pathogens such as cholera and campylobacter. This modified H. pylori can only survive in the presence of an enzyme supplied in special drinking water, allowing those administering the vaccine to regulate its colonization. |
| Cell Phone Microscopy for Malaria Diagnosis | | | Daniel Fletcher, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | 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. |
| Enhancing TB Vaccines with Gene Silencing | | | Jinhee Lee, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worchester, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Jinhee Lee and Gary Ostroff of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the U.S. will test the idea of delivering small interfering RNA (siRNAs) via glucan particles in an oral TB vaccine formulation. The team will utilize the siRNAs’ ability to block immunosuppressive signaling and amplify the immune response. |
| Manipulating the Mosquito’s Lifespan to Control Malaria | | | Michael Riehle, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States - US |
| | | | | Michael Riehle of the University of Arizona in the U.S. will manipulate insulin signaling in mosquito tissues to create a new breed of mosquito that has a shorter lifespan, yet has increased fertility. Because only older mosquitoes can transmit the malaria parasite, the team hopes these fertile, short-lived mosquitoes will replace longer-lived malaria carriers. |
Showing grants 41 to 50 of 305 | An Immunity-Enhancing Beverage | | | Steven Maranz, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | 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. |
| HIV Incidence Testing in Hair | | | Christopher Pilcher, UCSF Positive Health Program, San Francisco, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Christopher Pilcher of the University of California, San Francisco in the U.S. will test the theory that HIV proteins, nucleic acids and antibodies to HIV can be detected in shafts of hair. This possible approach may provide a low-cost tool to determine the timing of HIV infection, which is essential to establish incidence rates in populations. |
| Reagent-Free, Needle-Free Microscopy for Malaria Diagnosis | | | Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States - US |
| | | | | Rebecca Richards-Kortum of Rice University in the U.S. will measure light scattered by malaria-infected blood by building a small microscope that can be placed on the skin, without the need to draw blood from patients. This novel, rapid, and painless diagnostic would not require consumable reagents or a trained operator, and would not generate biohazardous waste. |
| A Single Vaccine Against Pneumococcus and Typhoid Fever | | | Yingjie Lu, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Yingjie Lu and Richard Malley of Children's Hospital Boston in the U.S. will develop a bivalent vaccine by conjugating a fusion of three novel, highly-conserved pneumococcal antigens to the already approved Vi polysaccharide vaccine used for typhus. The team will test its ability to induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses against both pneumococcus and typhoid fever. |
| Nanoparticle Mucosal Vaccine Platform from Eggshell Proteins | | | Allison Ficht, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, TX, United States - US |
| | | | | Allison Ficht of Texas A&M Health Science Center in the U.S. will develop a new TB immunization delivery system based on the protein used by parasitic worms to seal their egg case. This “sticky coating” for nanoparticle vaccines could protect antigens during intranasal administration, affix them to the nasal mucosa and erode in a controlled way to slowly release antigens for enhanced immune response against tuberculosis. |
| New Intravaginal Delivery System to Induce Mucosal Immunity | | | Emmanuel Ho, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States - US |
| | | | | Emmanuel Ho of University of Utah in the U.S. will develop a polyether urethane (PU) intra-vaginal ring designed to slowly release the HIV peptide gp120, as well as the cytokine IL-12 as an adjuvant, directly into the vaginal mucosa to stimulate a sustained mucosal immune response. |
| PlasmoTrack: Spatiotemporal Tracking of Malaria Parasites | | | Bryan Greenhouse, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Bryan Greenhouse of the University of California, San Francisco, will design a series of microsatellites, short DNA repeats which have variable lengths in different parasites, to track individual parasites in two regions close to malaria elimination. If successful, this approach will provide insight into parasite transmission networks and help to guide future malaria eradication efforts. |
| Highly Sensitive, Low-Cost Malaria Test | | | Juan Santiago, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Juan Santiago of Stanford University in the U.S. will develop small, disposable diagnostic device that utilizes isotachophoresis, a technique that separates charged particles, to concentrate a key biomarker of malaria parasites. The goal of this technique is to provide test results within three minutes at a sensitivity much greater than current tests, allowing for detection of malaria at much earlier stages of infection and in asymptomatic individuals. |
| Metabolic Engineering of Salmonella and Shigella Vaccines | | | Craig Morita, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States - US |
| | | | | Craig Morita of the University of Iowa in the U.S. will engineer Salmonella and Shigella vaccine vectors to overproduce an essential antigen to stimulate gamma delta T cells, to boost mucosal immune response against these enteric pathogens. |
| Reawakening Retrocyclins to Combat Mucosal STIs in Women | | | Alexander Cole, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States - US |
| | | | | Alexander Cole of the University of Central Florida will attempt to restore natural expression of retrocyclins, antiviral peptides whose production in humans has been latent for millions of years. Cole will test inexpensive and widely available antibiotics for their ability to induce production of these retrocyclins, leading to its possible use as a vaginal microbicide. |
Showing grants 51 to 60 of 305 | Bacterial Viruses as Tool for Blocking Transmission of Malaria | | | Luiz Ozaki, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States - US |
| | | | | 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. |
| Electrical Detection of TB Signals in Breath | | | William Royea, Next Dimensions Technology, Inc., Pasadena, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | William Royea of Next Dimensions Technology, Inc., in the United States seeks to develop a point-of-care breath analyzer. The proposed system aims to use an array of chemical films that are sensitive to changes in electrical conduction as a result of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by tuberculosis. |
| Inexpensive, Dry, Heat-Stable, Vaccine Skin Patch | | | Tycho Speaker, Transderm Inc., Santa Cruz, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Tycho Speaker of Transderm Inc. in the United States, along with Juvaris Biotherapeutics, will test the efficacy of a dry microneedle skin patch loaded with malaria antigens and a novel adjuvant for its ability to stimulate a robust immune response. If successful, this painless, low-cost, no-refrigeration vaccine delivery system could increase vaccine access to at-risk populations. |
| Using Acoustic Analysis of Cough to Diagnosis Pneumonia | | | Suzanne Smith, STAR Analytical Services, Bedford, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Suzanne Smith of STAR Analytical Services in the United States will study recorded cough samples with acoustic vocalization-analysis technology to identify sound characteristics that indicate specific symptoms of pneumonia with the aim of rapidly identifying the cause and severity of respiratory illness. It is hoped that such acoustic landmarks would help in the differentiation between viral infections and bacterial illnesses, each of which may require different treatments. |
| Synthetic Peptides to Inhibit HIV Entry | | | Chang Yi Wang, United Biomedical, Inc., Hauppauge, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | Chang Yi Wang of United Biomedical, Inc. in the United States will develop and test synthetic peptide immunogens that mimic conserved sites used by HIV to gain entry to host T-cells. Mimicking the correct three-dimensional structure of these important proteins should generate antibody responses that block this initial step of HIV infection and neutralize the virus. |
| Using Common Freshwater Protozoa to Produce Malaria Vaccines | | | William Gordon, Tetragenetics, Inc., Ithaca, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | William Gordon and collaborators at Tetragenetics, Inc. in the United States propose using T. thermophilia, a fresh-water protozoa commonly used in basic research, to produce malaria antigens in a crystalline protein gel. The close evolutionary relationship between T thermophilia and protozoan malaria parasites may allow the antigens to retain their natural conformation. In this way, multiple vaccine components can be readily harvested as a single, low-cost, high-potency vaccine formulation. |
| Novel Method Protecting Infants from HIV in Breast Milk | | | Renjie Chang, Lavax, Palatine, IL, United States - US |
| | | | | Renjie Chang of Lavax, Inc. in the U.S. has developed a natural food substance that reduces HIV viruses in the mother’s milk, and will test it along with scientists at University of Toledo for its ability to block HIV transmission from mothers to infants. |
| Low-Cost Multivalent Pneumococcal Vaccine | | | Kevin Killeen, Matrivax R&D Inc., Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Kevin Killeen of Matrivax R&D Inc. in the U.S. proposes applying a novel technology which entraps many polysaccharide antigens in a protein matrix. If successful, this prototype platform could increase the breadth of serotypes currently covered by pneumococcal vaccines as well as reduce costs of vaccine production. |
| Malaria Diagnostics on Skin | | | Howard Bernstein, Seventh Sense Biosystems, Cambridge, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Howard Bernstein of Seventh Sense Biosystems in the U.S. will engineer a skin patch that can detect and measure malaria proteins in interstitial fluid. If successful, an easy-to-use biocompatible device may be able to allow continued monitoring of infection for a few weeks, instead of a single time point. |
| Inducing Autophagy in Dendritic Cells By DNA Delivery | | | Tanapat Palaga, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand - TH |
| | | | | Tanapat Palaga of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand seeks to create a novel DNA vaccine delivery system that targets dendritic cells in GI mucosal tissues. Using chitosan nanoparticles to encapsulate DNA plasmid and protect it from stomach acid, this potential vaccine construct will contain both an antigen and an autophagy-inducing gene to enhance the vaccine’s efficacy. |
Showing grants 61 to 70 of 305 | A New Tool for Anti-Malarial Target Gene Validation | | | Philip Shaw, BIOTEC, Pathumthani, Thailand - TH |
| | | | | 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. |
| Finding Malaria Relapse Using Liver Function Tests | | | A. Nag, Vivekananda International Health Centre, Kolkata, India - IN |
| | | | | Abani Nag and Amiya Hati of Vivekananda International Health Centre in India will test the hypothesis that ultrasound measurements of the liver and spleen, as well as functional liver enzyme tests, will to help differentiate cases of relapse versus re-infection of malaria, leading to more appropriate treatment and drug therapies. |
| Electronics Nose to Smell Tuberculosis from Breath VOCs | | | Ranjan Nanda, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Delhi, India - IN |
| | | | | Ranjan Nanda, K.V.S. Rao and Virander Chauhan of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology in India will gather breath samples from tuberculosis patients and use gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify and track unique molecules such as volatile organic compounds that can serve as biomarkers to diagnose tuberculosis. The overall goal is to then create a handheld “electronic nose” to diagnose the disease in resource-poor settings. |
| Develop Novel Receptor Blocking Vaccines Against P. falciparum and P. viva | | | Deepak Gaur, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Delhi, India - IN |
| | | | | Deepak Gaur, Chetan Chitnis and Virander Chauhan of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology in India will attempt to develop a blood-stage malaria vaccine that uses a combination of two proteins found among a wide diversity of malaria parasites. Their goal is to stimulate antibodies that would stop parasite infection of red blood cells by blocking multiple pathways of invasion. |
| Sublingual Vaccination for Inducing Broad-Based Mucosal Immunity | | | Cecil Czerkinsky, International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, South Korea |
| | | | | Cecil Czerkinsky of the International Vaccine Institute in Korea will test the efficacy of administering two approved vaccines sublingually – directly under the tongue. The team will attempt to produce not only antibody responses but also cytotoxic T cell responses in distant mucosal organs such as the lungs and reproductive tract. Sublingual vaccine administration could help improve vaccine delivery, compliance, and enhance immunity against a variety of pathogens. |
| Programming T cell Homing to Induce Gut-Selective Immunity | | | Federica Marelli-Berg, Imperial College London, Division of Medicine, London, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Federica Marelli-Berg of Imperial College London, Division of Medicine in the UK will test the theory that using “homing factors” as vaccine adjuvants will induce the development of memory T cells thereby generating site-specific immunity against pathogens in the gut. |
| Artificial Triggering of Malaria Parasite Relapse | | | Lena Hulden, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland - FI |
| | | | | 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. |
| Light-Activated Pellets for Mosquito Larvae Control | | | Annette Habluetzel, University of Camerino, Camerino (MC), Italy - IT |
| | | | | Annette Habluetzel of the University of Camerino in Italy seeks to develop a micropellet food for mosquito larvae made from non-toxic, organic compounds. These pellets, when ingested by the transparent larvae are activated by sunlight and kill the larvae, leaving other animals unharmed. |
| Induction of HIV Protective Mucosal Antibodies | | | Claudia Pastori, Fondazione S. Raffaele del Monte Tabor, Milan, Italy - IT |
| | | | | Claudia Pastori of Fondazione S. Raffaele del Monte Tabor in Italy seeks to induce mucosal immunity against HIV by using a bacterial adhesive protein to target antigens to specific cells. The goal of this approach is to present conserved epitopes of HIV in their natural form to elicit the production of protective antibodies in the tissues where these antibodies will be effective. |
| Excreting HIV Using Antibodies | | | Edward Dolk, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands - NL |
| | | | | Edward Dolk of Utrecht University in the Netherlands proposes using two-sided antibodies, which bind to HIV and to transport receptors in the epithelium. Binding these receptors will cause excretion of the HIV particles outside of the body, thereby reducing viral load. |
Showing grants 71 to 80 of 305 | Preventing Malaria in Both Host and Vector | | | Shahid Khan, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands - NL |
| | | | | Shahid Khan of Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands seeks to produce a multi-stage malaria vaccine using transgenic sporozoites. These parasite forms will also present transmission blocking antigens to not only generate protective immunity against early stages of infection, but also generate antibodies to block transmission via mosquitoes. |
| New Whole-Species Pneumococcal Vaccines | | | Jeremy Webb, School of Biological Sciences, Southampton, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Jeremy Webb and collaborators at the School of Biological Sciences in the United Kingdom will search for unique proteins that allow pneumococcal bacteria to form biofilms on mucosal surfaces. The team will use laser capture micro-dissection “laser tweezers” to dissect these bacterial communities with the goal of finding antigens common to all serotypes and could be used as the basis for future vaccines. |
| Targeting Malaria Hotspots In Rural Poorly Resourced Settings | | | Roly Gosling, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Roly Gosling of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom will conduct a pilot study in Tanzania to test whether malaria cases can be contained by treating the households and immediate neighbors of those diagnosed with malaria. The goal of this research is to understand whether such community approaches can clear asymptomatic carriers and eliminate parasites within these “hotspots.” |
| Targeting of the P. falciparum Immune Evasion Mechanism | | | Matthew Fuchter, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Matthew Fuchter and collaborators at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom proposes to test whether a novel chemical produced in some fungus species can control enzymes that control immune escape mechanisms in malaria parasites. If successful, this approach may not only force the parasite to present many surface proteins that are normally absent and stimulate a powerful immune response, but could also directly kill malaria parasites. |
| Eradication of Malaria through the Development of Host Directed Therapy | | | Simon Foote, Menzies Research Institute, Hobart Tasmania, Australia - AU |
| | | | | 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. |
| A Novel Effective Vaccine Against Cholera | | | Michael Lebens, University of Gothenburg Institute for Vaccine Research (GUVAX), Gothenburg, Sweden - SE |
| | | | | Michael Lebens of the University of Gothenburg Institute for Vaccine Research in Sweden proposes to develop a new oral cholera vaccine using a single cholera strain that expresses antigens for both the Inaba and Ogawa serotypes, as well as produces cholera toxin subunits that act as an adjuvant to stimulate mucosal immune activity. |
| Rapid Urine-Based Dipstick Test for Diagnosis of Malaria | | | Uri McKakpo, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana - GH |
| | | | | Uri Selome McKakpo of the University of Ghana will develop and test a rapid dipstick test that utilizes monoclonal antibodies to detect parasite antigens present in urine of infected individuals. Using this technology, the team hopes to create a new diagnostic test for malaria that requires minimal training to use and does not depend on invasive blood samples. |
| Robotic Health Assistant for Rational Management of Fevers among Nomads | | | Oladele Akogun, Common Heritage Foundation, Jimeta-Yola, Nigeria - NG |
| | | | | Oladele Akogun of the Common Heritage Foundation in Nigeria seeks to develop a “fever kit” for use among nomadic populations to help them accurately diagnose and treat fevers in a way that reduces mortality and drug resistance. The device will be equipped with simple diagnostic tools and prerecorded treatment instructions in the native language to help nomadic caregivers distinguish between malaria and other causes of fevers, and will also contain drug treatments appropriate to the diagnosed illness. |
| A Novel Way of Targeting TB using Aptamers and Nanotechnology | | | Boitumelo Semete, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa - ZA |
| | | | | To optimize the effectiveness of current anti-tuberculosis drugs, Boitumelo Semete of the CSIR in South Africa will work with collaborators to develop “sticky nanoparticles” that specifically attach to TB-infected cells. Once taken in by these cells, the nanoparticles will slowly degrade, releasing the anti-TB drugs and killing the bacteria. With this novel drug delivery system, the team aims to improve the bioavailability of the current therapies, with the possibility of shortening the treatment period for TB as well as reduce drug side effects. |
| Development of Indoor Spray to Control Malaria Transmission | | | Walter Focke, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa - ZA |
| | | | | Because DDT is the only insecticide that remains effective for more than a year, Walter Focke of the University of Pretoria in South Africa will investigate how insecticides degrade when applied on an indoor surface. Focke will then study whether combining the insecticide with paint to create a “whitewash” can mitigate this disintegration and enhance stability. |
Showing grants 81 to 90 of 305 | Using Outdoor Infrastructure for Malaria Eradication | | | Fredros Okumu, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara Town, Tanzania, United Republic of - TZ |
| | | | | Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes spend a greater part of their lives outside human dwellings than inside. Fredros Okumu of Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania will fabricate outdoor decoy sites to attract and trap breeding, resting and feeding mosquitoes. They will then develop a location model to guide optimal placement of the devices, and then conduct a village trial to test the efficacy of the decoys in reducing malaria transmission. |
| Reducing Risk of ALRI by Improving Indoor Air Pollution | | | Golam Rabbani, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh - BD |
| | | | | Golam Rabbani of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) will study the effects that a new model of indoor cooking stove with concealed combustion chambers and ventilation chimney has in reducing indoor air pollution and subsequently, reducing acute lower respiratory infections and TB in children. |
| Prevention of Visceral Leishmaniasis Disease in Asymptomatic VL Patients | | | Dinesh Mondal, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh - BD |
| | | | | Because malnutrition, micronutrient deficiency and parasitic worm infection are all major risk factors for developing visceral leishmaniasis, Dinesh Mondal of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) will study if VL development can be prevented in asymptomatic patients through nutritional supplements of vitamin A, zinc and iron, as well as anti-helminth treatment. |
| Generation of Influenza-Resistant Chicken by Triple Combination Lentiviral Vector-mediated Genetic Modification | | | Chen Yangchao, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China - CN |
| | | | | Chen Yangchao of the Chinese University of Hong Kong proposes developing a lentiviral vector that targets the entry and replication of influenza viruses in domestic chickens. The team plans to test the ability of these modified chickens to be resistant to various influenza viruses in an effort to reduce the frequency of flu epidemics in poultry and, ultimately, in humans. |
| Immune Reinforcing Attenuated Whole-Sporozoite as Vaccine | | | Guang-hong Tan, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Medicine, Haikou, Hainan, China - CN |
| | | | | Guang-hong Tan of Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Medicine in China seeks to create a next-generation malaria vaccine by deleting a gene responsible for parasite development in the liver adding a new gene which attracts dendritic cells to the infection site. Using this modified sporozoite in a vaccine could produce a limited infection that, at the same time, induces a strong immune response against malaria. |
| Dual-Mode Binding Inhibitors to Suppress P. falciparum DHFRs | | | Bongkoch Tarnchompoo, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Pathumthani, Thailand - TH |
| | | | | Bongkoch Tarnchompoo of the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Thailand will attempt to develop and test a novel drug that binds to the two pathways used by the DHFR enzyme in P. falciparum to mutate. By tethering these active sites, the dual-binding drug will suppress the development of resistance to anti-malarial drugs. |
| A Self-Adjuvanting Vaccine for ST-ETEC | | | Roy Robins-Browne, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) is the leading cause of diarrhea in the developing world. Roy Robins-Browne, of the University of Melbourne, in Australia will evaluate the effectiveness of a prototype vaccine that combines enterotoxin of E. coli (which lacks immunogenicity by itself) with another epitope to attract helper T cells and a lipid adjuvant to ensure delivery of the antigen directly into the cell. |
| Liposomal Dendiritc-Cell (DC)-Targeted Vaccines for TB | | | Ines Atmosukarto, Lipotek Pty Ltd, Canberra, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Ines Atmosukarto of Lipotek Pty Ltd. in Australia proposes to develop a novel TB vaccine utilizing synthetic “nano-sacs” called liposomes that carry TB antigens and are anchored with a self-adjuvanting protein that binds to and stimulates dendritic cells. |
| Development of a Synthetic Anti-Toxic Vaccine for Malaria | | | Louis Schofield, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Louis Schofield of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Australia will develop a synthetic saccharide-conjugated vaccine that would provide immunity against GPI, a toxin produced by the malaria parasite that is a major determinant in the severity and fatality of the disease. |
| An Altruistic Vaccine for Mosquito Transmitted Pathogens | | | Paul Young, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Mosquito transmitted pathogens such as dengue and malaria are a significant disease burden on the world’s population. Paul Young of the University of Queensland in Australia aims to develop a novel vaccine approach that is based on blocking mosquito transmission of these disease agents rather than inducing pathogen-specific immunity. |
Showing grants 91 to 100 of 305 | MicroCubes as Vaccines for the Developing World | | | Fasseli Coulibaly, Monash University, Clayton, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Fasséli Coulibaly of Monash University in Australia will design a novel vaccine platform based on protein micro-crystals produced by insect viruses. Coulibaly will engineer vaccines that utilize this stable structure to present multiple antigens with a slow-release delivery, and will test their ability to induce a vigorous immune response without the need for refrigerated vaccine storage. |
| Increasing Vaccination Efficacy with ACE Inhibitors | | | Julio Scharfstein, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - BR |
| | | | | Julio Scharfstein of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil will study whether a pre-dose of captopril, an established ACE inhibitor and anti-hypertension drug, can also increase the potency of vaccines by increasing activation of dendritic cells. |
| Large-Scale MHC Epitope Analysis for Vaccine Development | | | Gustavo Fioravanti Vieira, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - BR |
| | | | | Gustavo Fioravanti Vieira of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil will create 3-D computer models of viral epitopes anchored to different alleles of MHC molecules to search for “generalist” epitopes that can be used to develop viral vaccines that are effective against a broad spectrum of pathogens. |
| Stem Cell Basis of Tubercular Latency | | | Bikul Das, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Because adult stem cells reside in a microenvironment that maintains an inactive metabolic state, Bikul Das of Stanford University in the U.S. will examine whether TB hijacks this niche to maintain latency. |
| Vaccine Discovery by Mapping Quasi-species Sequence Space | | | Marco Vignuzzi, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France - FR |
| | | | | In organisms that have extreme mutation rates, such as RNA viruses, quasispecies are highly diverse genotypes that may drastically differ from the general population and often become less viable as they continue to mutate. Using new deep sequencing technology, Marco Vignuzzi of the Pasteur Institute in France hopes to identify such RNA viruses that have managed to retain attenuated strains in order to study these genotypes for possible use in the development of viral vaccines. |
| How to Break B Tolerance and Induce HIV-Protective Antibodies to CCR5 | | | Lucia Lopalco, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy - IT |
| | | | | HIV uses the CCR5 co-receptor protein found in mammals as a major pathway to enter target cells. Because some patients who are exposed, yet resistant, to the virus, or have HIV but do not ever progress to AIDS can exhibit the presence of CCR5 internalizing antibodies, Lucia Lopalco of the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Italy will attempt to generate “anti-self” antibodies against CCR5 to knock out protein’s co-receptor and effectively block HIV entry. |
| Host Targets in Mtb Infection | | | Nigel Savage, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiderdorp, Netherlands - NL |
| | | | | Because tuberculosis manipulates host cells to resist the immune response and current drug therapies, Nigel Savage of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands will utilize RNAi analysis to identify the essential pathways used by the bacteria to modify its host cell. By discovering these pathways, novel therapies can be developed to counteract this host manipulation without directly targeting the pathogen and causing the development of resistance. |
| Drug-Induced Differentiation of Trypanosomes Leads to Lysis | | | Reto Brun, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland - CH |
| | | | | Reto Brun (Swiss Tropical Institute) and Isabel Roditi (University of Bern) seek to identify the molecules that cue African trypanosomes, which are parasites that cause fatal sleeping sickness, to differentiate into the life stages necessary for transmission of the parasite. Knowing how to force this transformation prematurely within the mammalian host will allow new ways to kill trypanosomes. |
| Malaria Prevention With the Help of Anti-Drug Antibodies | | | Erich Cerny, Wissenschaftlicher Fonds Onkologie, Geneva, Switzerland - CH |
| | | | | Erich Cerny of Wissenschaftlicher Fonds Onkologie in Switzerland will test whether inducing antibodies against anti-malarial drugs can significantly prolong the half-life of that drug. Antibodies elicited via immunization may form a reservoir of the active drug for long-lasting treatment for malaria. Such a “small molecule vaccine” has significant implications for efficacy and cost of malaria prevention. |
| Nanoparticle Platform for TB Vaccine Targeting Lymph Nodes | | | Melody Swartz, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland - CH |
| | | | | Melody Swartz and Jeffrey Hubbell of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, will explore the use of a robust and inexpensive nanotechnology, which may penetrate lymph tissue to more effectively trigger immune responses, as a new tool for prevention of TB. |
Showing grants 101 to 110 of 305 | Novel Magneto-Optical Biosensors for Malaria Diagnosis | | | Luke Savage, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Luke Savage and Dave Newman will lead engineers at Exeter University in the UK in a program to develop a handheld, inexpensive battery-powered instrument that can rapidly diagnose malaria. By using magneto-optics to detect the hemozoin crystals produced as a byproduct of malaria parasite digestion of hemoglobin in the red blood cell, such techniques could offer a method to detect malaria which does not rely on invasive blood samples. |
| Infinite-Epitope Virus-like Particle Vaccines for HIV/AIDS | | | George Dickson, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, Egham, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | One hypothesis of why protective immunity to HIV in the general population is very low is that the virus can exist in a hidden form in the body and can mutate very quickly to escape immune destruction. George Dickson of Royal Holloway University of London will design and evaluate so-called "infinite-epitope" vaccines for their potential to provide simultaneous and broad protective immunity to the many variant forms of HIV. |
| Experimental Human Carriage of Pneumococci | | | Stephen Gordon, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Because human carriage of pneumococcus usually results in improved immunity to future infections without any development of disease, Stephen Gordon of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK will utilize an intranasal inoculation with a safe strain of the bacteria to study the mechanisms of mucosal immunity in the lungs and to explore the potential for a vaccine based on his findings.
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| Latency in M. tuberculosis – A Highly Dynamic Phenomenon | | | Maria Lerm, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Ostergotland, Sweden - SE |
| | | | | Maria Lerm of Linkoping University in Sweden will test her hypothesis that TB latency is a dynamic process in which a portion of the bacilli, when ingested by macrophages, trigger a genetic program where bacteria cycle between active and latent phases. Understanding whether this dynamic cycle exists could give new insights into maintaining or targeting the latent bacteria, which is the major reservoir of TB globally. |
| Mortalizing HIV – A Novel Method to Help Eradicate HIV | | | Reuben Harris, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States - US |
| | | | | A high HIV mutation rate enables escape from powerful immune responses and anti-retroviral drugs. Reuben Harris of the University of Minnesota in the U.S. will test the hypothesis that HIV requires the human APOBEC3G protein to maintain a high mutation rate necessary for HIV survival. Inhibiting this protein may slow the mutation rate and make the virus more susceptible to immune responses. |
| Primaquine Revisited – Safety and Efficacy of PQ Isomers | | | Larry Walker, University of Mississippi, University, United States - US |
| | | | | Larry Walker of the University of Mississippi in the U.S. will test an innovative approach to mitigate the toxicity of primaquine, a promising and powerful malaria drug. Walker will separate the drug into two components, called isomers, to see if a single form retains the ability to eliminate the malaria parasite in its latent liver stages and the mature gametocytes while reducing toxic side effects. |
| Zinc Finger Nucleases For in vivo Treatment of HIV Infection | | | Philip Gregory, Sangamo BioSciences Inc., Richmond, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | People born with a genetic mutation in their CCR5 gene are naturally resistant to HIV infection. Philip Gregory of Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. in the U.S. will use zinc finger nuclease technology to specifically disrupt the CCR5 gene as a new strategy to make people resistant to HIV. |
| A VLP-Based Phage Display System for HIV Vaccine Discovery | | | Bryce Chackerian, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States - US |
| | | | | Bryce Chackerian and David Peabody at the University of New Mexico in the U.S. have developed a new phage display system based on highly immunogenic virus-like particles (VLPs), and will utilize this new system as a platform to identify new vaccines that induce broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. |
| Small Molecule Antimicrobial Peptide Mimics as Antimalarials | | | Doron Greenbaum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States - US |
| | | | | Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential components of the innate immune system that provides resistance to a variety of pathogenic organisms by selectively lysing, or bursting, cellular membranes of invading pathogens. Doron Greenbaum of the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S. will test whether small molecules that mimic the natural AMPs can selectively kill the parasite that causes malaria. Such an approach could reduce costs of production as well as limit the emergence of drug resistance. |
| Latency and Reactivation Revealed by Dynamic Imaging | | | Philana Lin, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States - US |
| | | | | Philana Ling Lin of the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S. will utilize imaging technologies such as PET and CT scans to study the biological mechanisms related to the reactivation of latent TB. This new technology aims to better understand the fundamental characteristics reactivation, as well as providing insight about new ways to induce or limit reactivation of latent TB. |
Showing grants 111 to 120 of 305 | Customized Insecticides for Combating Disease Vectors | | | John Abrams, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States - US |
| | | | | John Abrams of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in the U.S. will utilize novel mutagenesis and selection strategies to develop new variants of the Cry protein, a toxin producing the pathogen Bt, in an effort to create customized insecticides that can selectively target disease vectors without harming humans and non-target species. |
| Using Materials Science to Stop HIV Sexual Transmission | | | Patrick Kiser, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States - US |
| | | | | Patrick Kiser of the University of Utah in the U.S. will design a vaginal gel that blocks HIV by becoming impermeable in response to the pH change induced by the presence of semen, and includes a polymer engineered to bind to HIV surface proteins to halt viral transport to susceptible tissues and HIV target cells. Such a ‘liquid condom’ could become a new way for women to protect themselves from HIV infection. |
| Targeting TRP Channel Heat Receptors to Disrupt An. gambiae Host Seeking | | | Guirong Wang, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States - US |
| | | | | Guirong Wang and colleagues at Vanderbilt University in the U.S. have recently identified key sensory heat receptors used by mosquitoes to target hosts. Wang will use these proteins as molecular targets to develop insect repellents and masking agents that block or hyper-stimulate these receptors and reduce the ability of the vectors to find hosts and spread disease. |
| Metabolosomes: The Organizing Principle of Latency in Mtb | | | Kyu Rhee, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | Kyu Rhee of Weill Cornell Medical College in the U.S. will test the theory that tuberculosis utilizes metabolosomes, which are protein-based metabolic structures, to enter into, maintain, and exit from latency. Understanding how metabolosomes work will aid in development of drugs that target TB. |
| Prevention of HIV by Mucosal Delivery using Lactobacillus | | | Laurel Lagenaur, Osel, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | Laurel Lagenaur of Osel, Inc. in the U.S. will engineer a native human vaginal bacteria to secrete a potent and broadly antiviral antibody fragment called scFv-m9, and evaluate the microbe’s ability to prevent HIV infection in the vaginal mucosa. |
| HSV-2 Vaccine Vector to Encode Multiple HIV T-cell Epitopes | | | Lynda Morrison, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, United States - US |
| | | | | Lynda Morrison of St. Louis University in the U.S. will develop a vaccine vector based on a prototype vaccine for herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) that encodes multiple CD8 T cell epitopes from HIV proteins, and test its ability to stimulate a robust CD8 T cell response against HIV. |
| Novel HIV-1 Env Immunogens for Immuno-Focusing | | | Ruth Ruprecht, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Ruth Ruprecht of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the U.S. will develop a new vaccine platform for HIV based on the hypothesis that immunodominant regions of the virus may be irrelevant to neutralizing the virus and also prevent access to neutralizing epitopes in conserved regions. The team will also use structural mimics of important epitopes in an effort to generate a strong, broadly neutralizing antibody response against these conversed sites. |
| Hydrocarbon-Stapled GP41 Immunogens | | | Loren Walensky, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Loren Walensky of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the U.S. will apply a new chemical technology to engineer structurally stable HIV-1 antigens for vaccine development. Walensky will test whether preserving the critical biologically active shape of HIV-1 polypeptides will yield neutralizing antibodies upon vaccination with his laboratory’s synthetic immunogens. |
| Dominant Lethal Probes to Investigate Latency in TB | | | Babak Javid, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | The physiology of the tuberculosis bacteria during latency is not well understood. Babak Javid of the Harvard School of Public Health in the U.S. will explore the hypothesis that latent bacteria are metabolically active during latency. The team will use novel genetic probes to determine whether transcription and translation occur in the population of cells that are responsible for re-activation of TB from models of latency. |
| Targeting Erythrocyte Determinants of Malaria Infection | | | Manoj Duraisingh, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Manoj Duraisingh of the Harvard School of Public Health in the U.S. will utilize RNAi screening to identify critical determinants in human red blood cells (erythrocytes) that are required for invasion and growth of the malaria parasite. |
Showing grants 121 to 130 of 305 | Using Bacteria to Contain the Spread of Malaria | | | Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in the U.S. proposes to modify bacteria that naturally inhabit the mosquito midgut to secrete proteins that interfere with the development of the malaria parasite in the mosquito that is necessary for malaria transmission. |
| Vaccine to Prevent Latent TB Infection | | | Gyanu Lamichanne, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | Gyanu Lamichanne of Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. will develop a novel vaccine for TB based on existing BCG vaccines modified to express a gene that is specific to latent TB in order to generate a robust immune response to a latent infection. |
| Exosomes as a Novel M. tuberculosis Vaccine | | | Jeff Schorey, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States - US |
| | | | | Jeff Schorey of the University of Notre Dame in the U.S. will evaluate the use of exosomes, which are small membrane vesicles released from macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a new platform for TB vaccines. Exosomes contain proteins and glycolipids that can elicit a robust innate and acquired immune response. |
| Novel Malaria Vaccine Targets Linked to Cellular Import | | | Kasturi Haldar, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States - US |
| | | | | Kasturi Haldar of the University of Notre Dame in the U.S. will rapidly screen malaria parasite genes that are essential for invasion and growth in human red blood cells. Characterizing these proteins may reveal novel vaccine targets for blood stage infection. |
| Biosynthetic Immunotargeting for Pneumococcal Treatment | | | David Spiegel, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States - US |
| | | | | David A. Spiegel of Yale University in the U.S. will pursue an antibiotic strategy called “biosynthetic immunotargeting.” Streptococcus pneumoniae will be fed small molecules which they will incorporate into their cell walls. These small molecules contain an epitope recognized by antibodies in the human bloodstream, leading to immune clearance independent of bacterial antigens, representing a unique, resistance-free approach to pneumococcal disease. |
| HIV Protease-Dependent Activation of a Cytotoxic Prodrug | | | Craig Crews, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States - US |
| | | | | For viral replication, HIV viruses are dependent upon proteins, called proteases, to appropriately cleave peptides and form functional viral particles. Craig Crews of Yale University in the U.S. will attempt to exploit these proteases by designing a drug that will cleave only to HIV protease and release a cytotoxin that results in programmed cell death. |
| Novel Class of Long-Range Olfactory Repellents for Anopheles | | | Anandasankar Ray, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | CO2 present in exhaled air is used by Anopheles mosquitoes to find their human hosts. Anandasankar Ray of University of California-Riverside plans to identify odors that inhibit the mosquito’s CO2- sensitive olfactory neurons, and design long-distance repellents that block the ability of mosquitoes to detect humans and protect large areas. |
| Targeted pH-Gated Nanoparticle Anti-TB Drug Delivery System | | | Marcus Horwitz, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Marcus Horwitz and colleagues at UCLA in the U.S. will develop and test a novel drug delivery system in which nanoparticles loaded with anti-TB drugs selectively target macrophages, and release the drugs intracellularly via a pH-dependent gate, allowing delivery of high concentrations on antibiotics into the host cells for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. |
| Therapeutic Pseudovirus Particles to Target Superspreaders | | | Leor Weinberger, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Highly infectious “superspreaders” often drive the spread of infectious agents but are difficult to identify and treat. Leor S. Weinberger of UCSD and James Lloyd-Smith of UCLA will develop and test engineered pseudoviruses called Therapeutic Infectious Particles (TIPs), which conditionally replicate along with the pathogen as it spreads through populations, but have their virulence elements replaced with therapeutic elements that slow down disease progression and curtail transmission. |
| Immunotherapy with iPS Derived From HIV-1 Specific B-Cells | | | Irvin Chen, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | HIV destroys helper T cells, which are essential to activation of B-cells. Irvin Chen of UCLA in the U.S. will utilize inducible pluripotent stem cell technology to generate a constant, self-renewing source of antigen-specific B-cells, which target conserved HIV epitopes to eliminate HIV-infected cells. |
Showing grants 131 to 140 of 305 | A Small Molecule That Blocks Male-to-Female Sexual Transmission of HIV | | | David Eisenberg, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Recent evidence suggests that HIV infection may be drastically enhanced when a specific protein found in human semen is present in fibril form. David Eisenberg of UCLA in the U.S. will design and test a small peptide that can effectively block formation of fibrils on this protein. If successful, the therapy could be administered via spray or liquid drops to inhibit transmission of HIV. |
| Breastmilk shield to prevent HIV transmission | | | Gadi Borkow, Cupron Inc., Greensboro, NC, United States - US |
| | | | | Gadi Borkow of Cupron, Inc. in the U.S. will study the efficacy of using newly developed copper-oxide based filters that deactivate a wide range of viruses, including HIV-1, as a shield to enable HIV-infected mothers to breastfeed their infants without risking transmission of the virus. |
| A New Way to Prevent HIV Infection During Breastfeeding | | | David Sokal, Family Health International, Durham, NC, United States - US |
| | | | | David Sokal of Family Health International in the U.S., with colleagues at Cambridge and Drexel Universities, will develop and test low-cost filters coated with safe microbicides that can be inserted into tips of nipple shields to prevent HIV transmission during breastfeeding. |
| A Novel Bactericidal Protein Found in Milk | | | Anders Hakansson, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | Anders Hakansson of the University of Buffalo in the U.S. has identified a protein from human breast milk (Human Alpha Lactalbumin Made Lethal to Tumor cell, or HAMLET), that kills respiratory tract bacteria. Hakansson will attempt to understand the mechanism by which HAMLET binds to and kills pheumococci without the bacteria developing resistance. |
| Transgenic Tomato for Delivery of RNAi Therapeutics | | | Eric Lam, Rutgers, New Brunswick, NJ, United States - US |
| | | | | In an effort to develop a low cost and easily transportable therapeutic, Eric Lam of Rutgers, State University of New Jersey in the U.S. will develop transgenic tomatoes that express RNAs that targets several relevant viruses. The team will test whether these antiviral RNAs can accumulate in mammals after their ingestion to suppress viral proliferation. |
| Mosquitocidal Immunity in Cattle to Augment Zooprophylaxis | | | Jefferson Vaughan, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States - US |
| | | | | Jefferson Vaughan of the University of North Dakota will seek to augment zooprophylaxis, the practice of using livestock to divert mosquito blood feeding away from humans, by developing an anti-mosquito vaccine for cattle that kill the insect before they bite humans. |
| Taste-guided Behavior in Mosquitoes Helps Eradicate Malaria | | | Paul Breslin, Monell Chemical Sense Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States - US |
| | | | | Little is known about the role taste plays in the mosquito feeding process. Paul Breslin of the Monell Chemical Sense Center in the U.S. will test the sensitivity of the mosquito taste system to human skin compounds in an effort to identify key compounds that cue the insects to accept or reject blood meals from humans. |
| Anti-TB Drugs That Limit Evolution of Resistance | | | Gerald Smith, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States - US |
| | | | | Gerald R. Smith of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the U.S. seeks to identify inhibitors of a bacterial DNA repair enzyme that allows tuberculosis to mutate. Identifying these inhibitors could lead to therapies that kill bacteria and limit drug resistance. |
| Mis-Expression of Liver-Specific miRNAs to Eradicate Malaria | | | Jen-Tsan Chi, Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States - US |
| | | | | When malaria parasites infect different human cells, including liver and red blood cells, it is thought that microRNAs are important developmental cues that facilitate specific events in the parasite life cycle. Jen-Tsan Chi of Duke Medical Center in the U.S. will test whether expressing liver-specific microRNAs within red blood cells will trick the parasite into undergoing liver-stage development, leading to its death. |
| Molecular Scissors to Specifically Disrupt a Pathogen Genome | | | Heimo Riedel, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States - US |
| | | | | Heimo Riedel of the West Virginia University School of Medicine in the U.S. will apply zinc finger nucleases as molecular scissors to directly disrupt the genome of human papilloma virus (HPV), the causal agent of cervical cancer. Once validated, this approach could also be applied to fight other infectious diseases including malaria, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. |
Showing grants 141 to 150 of 305 | Capturing Nature’s Weapons to Prevent Infectious Diseases | | | Gregory Tew, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | To better understand the role that antimicrobial peptides play in the immune system, Gregory Tew of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the U.S. will test synthetic molecules that mimic these peptides for their ability to clear bacteria by engaging the innate and adaptive immune system. |
| Toll-Like Receptor 8 Agonists as Novel Neonatal Vaccine Adjuvants | | | Ofer Levy, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Newborns are at high risk of infection and respond poorly to most vaccines. Ofer Levy at Children’s Hospital Boston in the U.S. will determine whether novel synthetic molecules (imidazoquinolines) are able to activate newborns white blood cells as candidate vaccine adjuvants to dramatically enhance immunization of infants. |
| Novel Arthropod-Based Vaccine System Against Leishmaniasis | | | William Wheat, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States - US |
| | | | | When blood-consuming sand flies transmit leishmaniasis they also inject substances from their saliva into humans that are necessary for small numbers of parasites to establish infection. William Wheat from Colorado State University in the U.S. will test whether a vaccine that neutralizes an important sand fly saliva component (maxadilan) will prevent parasitic infection. |
| Signaling a Stop to Cholera | | | John March, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | The intestinal disease cholera uses cell-to-cell signaling to coordinate its growth and virulence in the human gut. John March of Cornell University in the U.S. is developing strains of commensal bacteria that naturally reside in the gut to express the key chemical signals used by cholera to abort the colonization process and allow the pathogen to pass through the G.I. system without causing symptoms. |
| Development of a Glycan Vaccine for Tuberculosis | | | Carlos Rivera-Marrero, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States - US |
| | | | | Glycans are an important component of surface molecules in tuberculosis but their role in protective immunity is still largely unexplored. Carlos Rivera-Marrero and Richard D. Cumming of Emory University in the U.S. will develop high-throughput glycan microarrays to identify glycan antigens, determine their chemical structure, and design glycan-peptide vaccines for future testing. |
| A Novel Therapeutic Strategy to Control HIV-1 Infection | | | Qugui Yu, Indiana University, Indianaoplis, IN, United States - US |
| | | | | The complement system, part of the innate human immune reaction which helps clear viruses and other pathogens, is thought to be inactivated by HIV. Qigui Yu of Indiana University School of Medicine in U.S. will attempt to reverse this inactivation in an effort to render HIV and infected cells susceptible to complement-mediated attack. |
| Adjuvant Effects of a Special Light | | | Mei Wu, General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | Laser light at a specific setting can activate antigen presenting cells in the skin and temporarily make cellular membranes permeable. Mei X. Wu and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in the U.S. will test whether injection of a vaccine into laser-exposed skin can significantly enhance immune responses stimulated by the vaccine. |
| Giving Malaria Mosquitoes a “Head Cold” to Stop Odor-Driven Feeding on Humans | | | Thomas Baker, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States - US |
| | | | | Thomas Baker, Matt Thomas and Andrew Read of Pennsylvania State University in the U.S. will infect malaria mosquitoes with an insect-specific fungus to determine if the infected mosquitoes’ sense of smell is suppressed and their ability to find human hosts and transmit malaria is reduced. |
| Combating Antibiotic Resistance in Tuberculosis | | | Krishna Kodukula, SRI International, Harrisburg, VA, United States - US |
| | | | | To test the theory that certain metabolic pathways essential to the survival of bacteria are immutable and therefore promising targets of drug therapy, Krishna Kodukula and colleagues at SRI International in the U.S. will identify peptides that bind key metabolites of M. tuberculosis, and test their ability to kill the bacteria. |
| Prevent HIV Infection by Naturally Occurring Antivirals | | | John Fahey, Darmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States - US |
| | | | | To harness a woman’s immune system to prevent HIV-1 infection, John Fahey and Charles Wira at Dartmouth Medical School in the U.S. will identify SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators) similar to those used for treating breast cancer and osteoporosis that can induce local immune protection in the reproductive tract against HIV without compromising normal reproductive function or increasing the risk of HIV infection. |
Showing grants 151 to 160 of 305 | Inhibition of Octopamine Biosynthesis in Invertebrates | | | Mark Alkema, University of Massachusetts, Worchester, MA, United States - US |
| | | | | The neurotransmitter octopamine is unique to the invertebrate nervous system and plays a crucial role in invertebrate behavior and fertility. Mark Alkema of the University of Massachusetts in the U.S. will attempt to design drugs to disrupt the biosynthesis of octopamine as a new strategy to interfere with the lifecycle of invertebrate parasites. |
| Killing T. brucei by RNA Aptamer-Mediated Immobilization | | | Arthur Günzl, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States - US |
| | | | | T. brucei, the parasite that causes sleeping sickness, must continuously swim forward in human blood to evade immune responses. Arthur Günzl of the University of Connecticut Health Center in the U.S. will attempt to develop serum-stable RNA molecules to immobilize the parasite by interrupting the mechanism driving parasite motility. |
| A Lexicon of HIV-RNA Interactions | | | Alice Telesnitsky, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States - US |
| | | | | Alice Telesnitsky of the University of Michigan in the U.S. seeks to define and characterize HIV interactions with host RNA. The team will attempt to determine whether disrupting or mimicking essential interactions with host RNAs may lead to antiviral strategies to which HIV cannot readily develop resistance. |
| A Non-Pathogenic Chimeric THLV-1/HIV-1 Viral Genome as a Model to Study Superinfection Restriction | | | Kuan-Teh Jeang, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | Kuan-Teh Jeang of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. will investigate whether cells infected by one virus become resistant to infection from other viruses, and if this viral interference can confer protection against HIV. The team will develop an attenuated virus to test whether over-expression of viral envelope proteins within cells can confer resistance to further HIV infection. |
| A Novel Vaccination Strategy for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis | | | Shaden Kamhawi, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | Because Leishmania is transmitted to humans when sand flies feed on humans, Shaden Kamhawi of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. proposes to develop a novel vaccine against salivary proteins of sand flies with the aim to induce a strong immune response against the parasite. |
| Human Polyomavirus BKV as a HIV Vaccine Vector | | | Simon Lacey, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | BK virus is a very common and non-pathogenic virus that persists in specific organs for long periods of time. Simon Lacey of Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope in the U.S. proposes using an engineered BK virus as a vaccine vector to introduce HIV polyepitope sequences in hopes of inducing a strong and long-lasting immune response against HIV. |
| Development of a Type III Protein Secretion System as a Quasi-Synthetic Protein Antigen Delivery Nanomachine | | | Jorge Galan, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States - US |
| | | | | Type III protein secretion systems are used by many bacteria to inject proteins into mammalian cells. Jorge Galan of Yale University will develop an antigen delivery machine based on the type III protein delivery system that will not require the use of live-attenuated bacteria, offering a safer vaccine platform. |
| Manipulating Gut Flora to Improve Vaccine Responses | | | Barbara Kazmierczak, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States - US |
| | | | | Barbara Kazmierczak of Yale University will test whether changes in the bacteria that naturally reside in human bowels affect vaccine responsiveness. |
| A Targeted Stealth Weapon of Viral Destruction for HIV | | | Karen Anderson, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States - US |
| | | | | HIV has a very high rate of mutation allowing it to very rapidly develop resistance to AIDS therapies. The essential viral enzyme, HIV reverse transcriptase, lacks a "proofreading" or "repair activity" leading to errors or mutations. Karen Anderson of Yale University is working on "stealth" compounds that have a unique anchor specific for HIV. These compounds encourage the virus to make mutations until the virus is annihilated. |
| Block Malarial Transmission by Targeting Gametocyte Activation | | | Greg Garcia, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | To interrupt reproduction of the malaria parasite in the mosquito gut, Greg Garcia and Sheetij Dutta of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research seek to identify and block a gametocyte stage receptor for xanthreunic acid, which is known to trigger the differentiation of gametocytes, an essential step in the life-cycle of the malaria parasite. |
Showing grants 161 to 170 of 305 | Removal of HIV by Targeted Stimulation of Cellular Uptake | | | Jord Stam, Utrecht University, Rijswijk, Netherlands - NL |
| | | | | Jord Stam at Utrecht University in the Netherlands will attempt to create "two-sided" antibodies to fight HIV; one side would attach to HIV, and the other side would safely deposit the virus in cells in which it cannot replicate. |
| Ribonuclease Zymogen as an HIV Chemotherapeutic | | | Ronald Raines, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States - US |
| | | | | Ron Raines of the University of Wisconsin proposes to convert a ribonuclease that rapidly degrades RNA into a zymogen, an enzyme precursor that is activated only when cleaved by an HIV protease. Because this cleaving can only occur within HIV-infected cells, the toxic activity of the ribonuclease will be unleashed only in cells in which HIV is active. |
| Granuloma Grafting: A New Model for Mycobacterial Latency and Reactivation | | | Matyas Sandor, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States - US |
| | | | | Matyas Sandor of the University of Wisconsin will graft granulomas, nodules that form as a result of long-term inflammation , to study the role they play in TB latency and reactivation. |
| Elimination of HIV Infected Cells Via the use of Antibody Targeted, Inductively Heated Nanoparticles | | | Ralph Albrecht, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States - US |
| | | | | Ralph Albrecht of the University of Wisconsin in the U.S. seeks to develop magnetite nanoparticles conjugated to antibodies that will selectively bind to HIV-infected cells. Once bound to the infected cells, the magnetite is heated using an externally applied magnetic field; melting holes in the membrane of the infected cell and killing it. |
| Strategies to Disable Hypermutagenesis in Malaria Parasites | | | Pradipsinh Rathod, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States - US |
| | | | | To fight emergence of drug and vaccine resistance in rapidly evolving parasites, Pradipsinh K. Rathod of the University of Washington will identify the parts of the malaria genome which contribute to rapid increases in mutations, and will screen for small molecules that inhibit these mechanisms. |
| Homing Endonucleases for the Cure of Latent HIV Infection | | | Keith Jerome, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States - US |
| | | | | Keith Jerome of the University of Washington will utilize a class of proteins called homing endonucleases, which have the ability to cut DNA sequences, to target the DNA sequences unique to HIV, thus disabling the virus from making any more copies of itself.
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| A New Platform for Making Effective Vaccines Against Pathogens That Cause Infectious Diseases | | | Ellen Vitetta, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States - US |
| | | | | Ellen Vitetta of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas is developing a new vaccine platform that will utilize synthetic B cell epitope mimetics (peptoids) conjugated to protein carriers to make vaccines that will induce robust, specific, and protective antibody responses against pathogens. |
| Novel Ways of Inducing Early Life Immunity | | | Volker Gerdts, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada - CA |
| | | | | Volker Gerdts of Canada's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization proposes to use live viral vectors to immunize fetuses during pregnancy to induce immune responses in the unborn baby, thereby protecting the infant against early life infections. |
| Nanopatch Delivery of DNA-Based Malaria Vaccines to Skin: Precisely Targeting the Skin Immune System for Radically Improved Vaccines | | | Mark Kendall, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Mark Kendall of the University of Queensland in Australia will design and test nanopatches, small patches consisting of microscopic silicon projections coated with a malaria vaccine in dry form, to target immunologically-sensitive cells within the skin’s outer layers – that are missed by the needle and syringe – to induce unique and protective immune response against the disease. |
| Anaerobic Shock as a Novel Treatment for Tuberculosis | | | Xilin Zhao, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States - US |
| | | | | Xilin Zhao of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey will test whether anaerobic gas, which causes rapid depletion of oxygen, will kill the tuberculosis bacteria without permanent damage to surrounding tissue. |
Showing grants 171 to 180 of 305 | Curing HIV Infection by Unmasking Conserved Neutralization Sites | | | Abraham Pinter, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States - US |
| | | | | Abraham Pinter of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey will study the mechanisms that make neutralizing epitopes within conserved sites of the HIV virus resistant to antibodies, and will screen for reagents that can “unmask” these epitopes so that antibodies can target and eliminate the virus.
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| Molecular Machines Which Catalytically Destroy Pathogen Proteins Required for Infection | | | Philip Bryan, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Rockville, MD, United States - US |
| | | | | Philip Bryan of the University of Maryland will use an engineered protease to destroy a specific Plasmodium surface protein that is essential in host cell invasion. |
| Genetic Resistance to HIV in Human African Forest Populations? | | | Alfred Roca, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States - US |
| | | | | Using genome scans, Alfred Roca of the University of Illinois will test the possibility that isolated African populations have been repeatedly exposed to chimpanzee immunodeficiency viruses, and have evolved resistance to HIV. Ascertaining whether they display resistance to HIV could lead to new ways to fight HIV in other populations. |
| Turning Houses Into Mosquito Traps | | | Jacques Derek Charlwood, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark - DK |
| | | | | By using strips of mosquito netting around houses to turn the homes into mosquito traps, Jacques Derek Charlwood of Denmarks DBL Center for Health Research and Development, in conjunction with the INS of Mozambique, hopes to develop a simple new technique to reduce malaria transmission. |
| Mycothiol Processing Enzymes as Potential Anti-Mycobacterial Drug Targets | | | Anwar Jardine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa - ZA |
| | | | | Anwar Jardine of the University of Cape Town in South Africa will attempt to disrupt the biosynthetic pathway of mycothiol, which is produced by tuberculosis as a protective chemical compound. By targeting this metabolic pathway specific to mycobacteria, Jardine hopes to eliminate latent tuberculosis or make it more vulnerable to existing drugs. |
| Design of an Effective Vaccine against HIV: An Alternative Hypothesis | | | Joseph McCune, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Because a robust immune response can actually foster HIV replication and spread, Joseph McCune at the University of California will research whether building tolerance to HIV will hinder disease progression better than vaccinations that activate the immune system and trigger HIV activity. |
| Protection Against HIV Disease by Augmentation of Gut Defenses | | | Dennis Hartigan-O'Connor, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Dennis Hartigan-O'Connor of the University of California at San Francisco will test whether expanding Th17 cells, a subset of CD4+ T cells that protect the GI tract against microbes, can augment the gut’s general defenses and protect against the acute and chronic effects of HIV. |
| Molecular Engineering of Erythrotropic Bacteria for Treatment and Prevention of Human Malaria | | | Joseph DeRisi, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Joseph DeRisi of the University of California at San Francisco proposes to engineer naturally occurring erythrotropic bacteria to target malaria infected red blood cells to serve as a potential prophylactic and treatment for malaria in humans. |
| Immunological Targeting of APOBEC Proteins in HIV | | | Douglas Nixon, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Douglas Nixon of the University of California at San Francisco will test his hypothesis that APOBEC proteins, which have been found to restrict replication of HIV, can be used to as an immunogen to stimulate a T cell response which would act against HIV infected cells. |
| Prevention of Active Tuberculosis by Infection with Helicobacter pylori | | | Jay Solnick, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Jay Solnick of the University of California, Davis will explore whether the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which can cause peptic ulcers in some people, might enhance immunity to tuberculosis and help maintain tuberculosis in a latent state. |
Showing grants 181 to 190 of 305 | The Eye as a Source of Novel Broad-Spectrum Anti-Infectives | | | Suzanne Fleiszig, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Suzanne Fleiszig of the University of California, Berkeley will attempt to decipher the molecular mechanisms that maintain broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of the healthy eye, which could lead to innovative strategies to combat infectious disease in general. |
| Interruption of Latency and In Vivo Adenovirus-Mediated Elimination of Macrophages Infected with M. Tuberculosis | | | Dmitry Shayakhmetov, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States - US |
| | | | | Pulmonary macrophages are the principal host of tuberculosis, where it can remain latent and inaccessible to current TB drug therapies. Dmitry Shayakhmetov of the University of Washington will study whether infecting these host cells with adenovirus will induce rapid cell death, reducing TB load and blocking the re-infection cycle. |
| VACAS: Vaccinating Adjuvant Core Antigen Shell Nanoparticles | | | François Baneyx, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States - US |
| | | | | François Baneyx of the University of Washington in the U.S. will synthesize nanoparticles consisting of an inorganic adjuvant core surrounded by a three-dimensional antigen shell. The particles will target lymph node dendritic cells that play a key role in initiating immune responses to infectious diseases. |
| Arctic Essential Genes Used to Create Temperature Sensitive Pathogens | | | Francis Nano, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., Canada - CA |
| | | | | Francis Nano of Canada’s University of Victoria will introduce essential genes found in Arctic bacteria into the genomes of “warm-loving” pathogens, making them unable to grow at core body temperatures. Such microbes could survive on human skin, which is cold enough to allow for replication and the stimulation of a strong immune system response, but not survive further dissemination into deeper and warmer tissue. |
| A Novel Structure-Based Model for the Prediction and Exploitation of Resistance Mutations | | | Ryan Lilien, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada - CA |
| | | | | Dr. Ryan Lilien of the University of Toronto in Canada will work to computationally model the structural and functional effects of point mutations on a target protein's active site. With the development of predictive models of pathogen evolution and the spread of resistance, this information can be used to guide drug development and optimization.
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| DNA Vaccines with Strongly Enhanced Potency | | | Andrew Heath, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Andrew Heath of University of Sheffield in the U.K. will research whether the immune responses to DNA vaccines can be enhanced with novel adjuvants. |
| Antagonist of RNA-Protein Interactions as Activators of A3G | | | Harold Smith, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | A3G, protein found in human cells that inactivates several viruses including HIV, is "switched off" in proliferating T cells. Harold Smith of the University of Rochester will screen for small molecule compounds that bind to A3G in cells and turn its anti-viral activity back on. |
| An Innovative Strategy to Induce Potent Mucosal Immune Responses Against HIV | | | Yue Chen, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States - US |
| | | | | Yue Chen of the University of Pittsburgh will attempt to develop an oral HIV vaccine based on Clostridium perfringens, a bacteria able to withstand upper GI conditions to deliver large amounts of antigens to gut-associated lymphoid tissue, a major site of HIV activity. |
| Developing Bdellovibrio as Living Antibiotics | | | Renee Elizabeth Sockett, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | The bacteria Bdellovibrio -- harmless to humans -- naturally kill a wide range of gram-negative pathogens which are known to cause many infections. Professor Liz Sockett of the University of Nottingham in England will study whether these pathogens have the ability to form resistance to Bdellovibrio, and if Bdellovibrio can be delivered to patients as a living antibiotic. |
| Autophagy as a Cell-Autonomous Mechanism of HIV Control | | | Vojo Deretic, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States - US |
| | | | | Vojo Deretic of the University of New Mexico proposes that authophagy, the process by which cells destroy cellular components and intracellular pathogens, can be induced through drug therapy to not only destroy the HIV virus in infected cells, but to also block its transmission from dendritic to T cells. |
Showing grants 191 to 200 of 305 | Stem Cell-Derived Natural Killer Cells as Potent Mediators of Anti-HIV Immunity | | | Dan Kaufman, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States - US |
| | | | | Dan Kaufman of the University of Minnesota will test whether natural killer cells, generated from stem cells can effectively target and eliminate HIV-infected cells. |
| Innovation Bridge: Linking Biotech Breakthroughs to Emerging Vaccine Manufacturers | | | Matthew Davis, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States - US |
| | | | | With a team of researchers, economists and physician-scientists, Matthew Davis of the University of Michigan will establish a program to link new vaccine discoveries with vaccine manufacturers in developing countries while simultaneously evaluating ways to help these manufacturers purchase rights to these innovative candidates. Click here to visit the project website. |
| A Mutable Vaccine for HIV | | | Marilia Cascalho, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States - US |
| | | | | Marilia Cascalho of the University of Michigan will test whether a “mutable”DNA vaccine in which the gene coding for the antigen mutates a million times more frequently than a typical gene will trigger immune response that anticipates the production of new viral variants and produces broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. |
| Antibodies to GB Virus C Envelope Glycoprotein E2 Delay HIV Disease Progression | | | Jinhua Xiang, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States - US |
| | | | | To test the hypothesis that immunization with a non-HIV antigen will neutralize the virus, Jinhua Xiang of the University of Iowa will determine if immunization with an envelope protein of the GB Virus C elicits antibodies that block HIV replication. |
| Preventing HIV-1 Infection Using a Simian CCR5 Mutant as a Vaccine Immunogen | | | Zhiwei Chen, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China - CN |
| | | | | In pursuit of a new type of AIDS vaccine, Zhiwei Chen of the University of Hong Kong will work to use a variant of the primate CCR5 gene as an antigen and test its efficacy in inducing cross-neutralizing antibodies against this important HIV co-receptor. |
| Nanocrystal Therapeutics for the Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Pathogens | | | Dan Feldheim, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States - US |
| | | | | Dan Feldheim of the University of Colorado will test his hypothesis that gold nanocrystals coated with drug compounds can effectively inhibit protein-protein interactions that often drive disease pathogenesis, will be less susceptible to evolutionary mechanisms that lead to drug resistance, and offer enhanced drug delivery characteristics. |
| Alternative Strategies to Eradicate the Latent HIV-1 Reservoir | | | Olaf Kutsch, University of Alabama , Birmingham, AL, United States - US |
| | | | | Olaf Kutsch of the University of Alabama proposes that HIV latency is controlled by host-gene promoter interference, a mechanism that prevents the initiation of viral gene expression. Understanding how host-gene promoter interference controls latent HIV-1 infection may aid development of therapies to deplete latent HIV in patients. |
| Autoantibody Protection Against HIV Infection | | | Benjamin Chain, University College London, London, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Benjamin Chain of University College London will attempt to stimulate an antibody response against CCR5, a protein found in the body which is used by HIV to infect cells. By combining a small portion of the molecule with part of the tetanus bacterium, Chain hopes to overcome natural tolerance of CCR5 to deplete the presence of the protein and prevent a way for HIV to enter cells. |
| Mycobactin-Linked Nanoparticles for Bacterial Infection | | | Graham Rook, University College London, London, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | Graham Rook of University College London will target an essential bacterial nutrient transport system with an iron-binding nanoparticle. The particle will be designed not only to block the pore and prevent it from taking in needed nutrients, but to also carry antibiotics that can be released in the vicinity of the bacterium. |
| Engineering the CD4+ T-Cell Response for Improved Immunity | | | Samuel Landry, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States - US |
| | | | | Samuel Landry of Tulane University will research the use of immune tolerance of dominant HIV epitopes prior to conventional vaccination with an HIV protein in order to stimulate a broader immune response. |
Showing grants 201 to 210 of 305 | Involving the Private Sector in the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in Uganda: A Randomised Trial to Evaluate Access to HIV Testing and Anti-Retroviral Treatment | | | Anthony Mbonye, Tropical Disease Research Network, Kampala, Uganda - UG |
| | | | | Anthony Mbonye of the Tropical Disease Research Network in Uganda will assess the feasibility and effectiveness of using private sector midwives to provide HIV testing and antiretroviral drugs in an effort to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV.
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| Testing of a Therapeutic PolyBAIT Concept for In Vivo Protection Against Cholera Toxin | | | Sanah Jowhari, TheraCarb Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada - CA |
| | | | | Ms. Sanah Jowhari at TheraCarb, a biotechnology company in Canada, will apply polymer-based drug technology to capture and remove the Cholera toxin from the body of a host, and validate an approach to developing a viable drug candidate for Cholera.
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| Enhancing the Effectiveness of Vaccines by Targeting to a New Dendritic Cell Molecule | | | Irina Caminschi, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - AU |
| | | | | Irina Caminschi of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia will test whether a prototype malaria vaccine which targets a newly identified dendritic cell molecule will produce a strong antibody response without the use of adjuvants. |
| Resuscitation of Stationary-Phase Pathogens to Enhance Antimicrobial Susceptibility | | | Angharad Davies, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | In an effort to enhance pathogen vulnerability to existing antibiotics, Angharad Davies of Swansea University in the U.K. proposes using peptides which activate stationary-phase microbes, leading to cell growth, with the aim of increasing susceptibility to established treatments. |
| Identification of Small RNA Molecules Capable of Eliciting Cellular Immunity During RNA Virus Infection | | | Andrew Fire, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | With evidence that RNA interference is a component of virus infection resistance, Andrew Fire of Stanford University will seek to understand how RNAi can function as a natural antiviral mechanism, and how such analysis can enable the design of antiviral interventions. |
| Genetically-Encoded Technologies that Support the Design of Molecular Sensing-Regulatory Systems for Targeted Disease Treatment Strategies | | | Christina Smolke, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Christina Smolke proposes to develop synthetic RNA devices that can process and transmit molecular input signals in hopes that this technology will result in more effective, targeted strategies for detecting and protecting against infectious disease. |
| Multiplex Tetramer Analysis of Vaccine Responses | | | Mark Davis, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States - US |
| | | | | Mark Davis of Stanford University will develop a new method to assess specific T cell responses to vaccinations. Using combinations of labeled tetramers to identify many types of T cell responses, Davis hopes to create better and more comprehensive assessments of immunity generated by vaccines. |
| Trojan Horse Vaccines for HIV Based on Lentiviral Vectors Expressing Suicide Envelopes | | | George Dickson, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, Egham, United Kingdom - GB |
| | | | | To provoke an effective immune response against HIV, George Dickson of Royal Holloway –University of London will utilize HIV-based lentivectors encoded with a strong neutralizing epitope derived from tetanus toxin or influenza on its surface. By forcing production of such highly immunogenic and stable antigens, the immune system will respond with corresponding antibodies and control virus replication. |
| Development of a Single Dose, Multicomponent, Thermostable Vaccine | | | Yasmin Thanavala, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, United States - US |
| | | | | Using thermostable nanoparticles as a delivery mechanism, Yasmin Thanavala of Health Research Inc and Roswell Park Cancer Institute in the U.S. will work to develop a single dose vaccine that can be given as close to birth as possible to protect against multiple diseases. |
| Reducing the Burden of Malaria by Targeting Hotspots of Malaria Transmission (REDHOT) | | | Teun Bousema, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands - NL |
| | | | | Teun Bousema of Radboud University in the Netherlands proposes that malaria hotspots, households which are disproportionately affected by infected mosquitoes, are major contributors to the disease's continued transmission. By identifying these hotspots, effective intervention strategies can be implemented to reduce and possibly eliminate disease. |
Showing grants 211 to 220 of 305 | Genetically Programmed Pathogen Sense and Destroy | | | Ron Weiss, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United Stat |
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