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Learn more about WIPO Re:Search members by viewing their detailed profiles.
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Members
Aberystwyth University, located in Aberystwyth, Wales, was established in 1872. Its Institute of Biological,...
Founded in 2009, the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio) is dedicated to cutting-edge...
At the Center for Infectious Disease Research (CIDR), scientists employ an arsenal of cutting-edge...
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is home to researchers performing malaria and schistosomiasis vaccine...
Health sciences is a core focus of research at Emory University; scientists within the university conduct both...
Researchers at GWU's Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine (MITM) conduct innovative,...
Collaborations
Dr. Qvit was working with Dr. Mochly-Rosen to develop peptides that inhibit Leishmania-activated C kinase receptor homologue (LACK). Previous studies had shown that Leishmania LACK knockouts were nonviable, and parasites that expressed low levels of LACK were unable to infect immunocompromised mice. Dr. Qvit’s peptides had shown promise in in vitro assays, and he was interested in testing his peptides in vivo. BVGH connected Dr. Qvit with Dr. Siqueira-Neto at UCSD, who tested the peptides in his in vitro assays before he planned to test them in vivo. The compounds did not show activity in Dr. Siqueira-Neto’s in vitro assays, and he provided recommendations to Dr. Qvit for improving permeability before pursuing further testing.
The assays for screening compounds against Taenia crassiceps and T. solium, the causative agents of neurocysticercosis, are laborious and time-intensive. Drs. Nash and Mahanty at the NIH were interested in screening compounds that had already been pre-screened against schistosomiasis, in an effort to capitalize on the homology between the parasites that cause neurocysticercosis and schistosomiasis. BVGH connected the NIH investigators with Dr. Caffrey, who had identified compounds with promising activity against Schistosoma from a screen of cathepsin protease inhibitors. Dr. Caffrey shared these inhibitors with Drs. Nash and Mahanty, who screened them against T. crassiceps in vitro using biochemical assays for evidence of damage to parasites.
Olfat Hammam is a pathologist working at the Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Giza, Egypt, specialized in schistosomiasis. The objective of her yearlong sabbatical at Standford University, Palo Alto, California, was to conduct a research on the various mechanisms responsible for the association between urogenital schistomiasis and bladder cancer, and make a comparison in squamous cell carcinomas of the bladder in Europe, USA and Egypt, in order to better understand the links between Schistomiasis and these cancers. Working with Michael Hsieh, she learned up-to-date techniques in schistosomiasis research and animal modeling. Olfat Hammam contributed her pathology experience to the Stanford University by training laboratory members in immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence methods.
Michael Hsieh is a urologist whose research interests include the roles of inflammation in defense against pathogens and carcinogenesis; mouse models of urogenital schistosomiasis; characterization of parasite-derived, host modulatory proteins as potential biomarkers of morbidity; and therapeutic exploitation of parasite-derived, host modulatory proteins for various diseases. He also hosts scientists interested in receiving training in his areas of expertise.
Accurate diagnosis of malaria and other parasitic diseases is challenging in field settings. Expensive, non-transportable equipment is usually required, significantly limiting timely diagnoses. In an effort to address this, Dr. Prakash developed the Foldscope, a lightweight, durable, inexpensive microscope made out of paper. The Foldscope provides sufficient magnification to diagnose several parasitic diseases including Malaria, HAT, leishmaniasis, and Schistosomiasis. Dr. Oyibo leads the ANDI Center of Excellence for Malaria Diagnosis at the University of Lagos, and hosted Dr. Prakash and his colleagues in Nigeria, providing plasma and whole blood samples from Plasmodium-infected individuals to test the Foldscope’s efficacy for Malaria diagnosis. While in Nigeria, the Stanford investigators also conducted training workshops on the Foldscope, and received input from infectious disease pathologists to further inform development of the technology. Plasma and whole blood samples to test the efficacy of a point-of-care microscopy diagnostic tool; hosting of Stanford researchers at University of Lagos for research and training; expertise sharing and feedback from infectious disease pathologists at the University of Lagos regarding Foldscope development.
Dr. Keiser is the Head of the Helminth Drug Development Unit at Swiss TPH. Dr. Keiser’s research is focused on drug discovery for helminth infections, and she evaluates compounds using both in vitro and in vivo assays. BVGH connected Dr. Keiser with Dr. Quinn, Director of the Eskitis Institute, who facilitated the sharing of a targeted selection of Nature Bank isolates for Dr. Keiser to screen against Schistosoma and Ancylostoma (hookworm).
Dr. Chen developed a PCR assay to identify resistance-causing mutations in Plasmodium parasite genes. Dr. Oyibo was interested in identifying specific mutations in Plasmodium parasites known to cause drug resistance in Nigerian patients, information that could potentially inform antimalarial treatment policy. With funding from NIPD, a graduate student from Dr. Oyibo’s laboratory spent two months at NIPD training on the PCR assay with samples collected from malaria patients in Nigeria. Using Dr. Chen’s assay, the student screened the samples for P. falciparum mutations conferring resistance to drugs.
Assets