Host parasite interactions: disease, pathogenesis and control [ 2006 - 2011 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Alan Cowman (Principal investigator) ,  Dr Emanuela Handman ,  E/Pr Graham Brown ,  Prof Brendan Crabb ,  Prof Daniel Schofield
View all 9 related researchers

Brief description Our program will investigate two major global parasitic diseases: malaria and leishmaniasis. We will explore how the parasites identify and invade the host. This is a critical stage of the infection and we will characterise proteins involved as they are potential targets for drugs and vaccines against the parasites. Many of these recognition and interaction components are excellent candidates for the development of vaccines to interrupt the cycle of infection. We are also unravelling metabolic pathways unique to the parasites using a mixture of genetic and computational tools complemented with sophisticated instrumentation to chemically identify the parasite�s entire repertoire of metabolic compounds. These pathways, absent from human hosts, are also highly vulnerable and we will feed the key steps into the drug development facet of the program. Our program also looks at how the parasites cause disease and how the host responds to the disease. We will explore the reactions of the immune system to infection and consequences of the body�s (often only partially successful) attempts to fight off the disease.

Funding Amount $AUD 13,738,896.64

Funding Scheme Programs

Notes Program Grant