Pathophysiology of malaria-associated lung disease [ 2006 - 2008 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: E/Pr Nicholas Hunt (Principal investigator) ,  Dr Helen Ball ,  Prof Georges Grau ,  Prof Nicholas Anstey

Brief description About 2 million people die each year from complications of malaria infection. A frequent, life-threatening complication of severe malaria is lung oedema. There is no specific treatment for the lung complications, which are poorly understood. There has been until now no good model system to study malaria lung complications. We have developed in mice an experimental model of malaria specifically to determine the mechanisms that cause lung pathology, which has never been done before. Such experiments cannot be performed in humans for ethical and logistical reasons. We believe that pulmonary oedema is caused by products of the immune system and we will rigorously test this idea in our study. The aim is to learn more about the processes occurring in this disease so as to devise new treatment strategies.

Funding Amount $AUD 422,517.61

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant