- Duration
- 01/04/2021 - 31/03/2023
- Coordinator
- Julio Alonso
- Funded by
- Global Health Innovative Fund (GHIT)
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects ~7 million people, mostly in Latin America. Vector-borne transmission is on the way of being controlled in several countries, but vertical transmission remains an uncontrolled major public-health challenge. Remarkably, available drugs have a very high cure rate in T. cruzi-infected newborns if administered early upon infection, thus a timely diagnose is crucial for treatment success.
However, the algorithm to detect congenital T. cruzi infection involves parasitological methods that lack sensitivity and a serological study must be performed several months later. In many endemic regions, people live far from referral centres which entails that a large proportion of infants rarely go back for diagnosis confirmation and treatment, if infected. Consequently, they evolve to the chronic phase of the disease with the risk of developing severe manifestations.
Molecular-based diagnostics have a very high sensitivity to detect congenital T. cruzi infections, but laboratories in those distant regions are not equipped to perform them. With the aim to provide a suitable point-of-care (POC) test for the timely diagnosis of congenital Chagas disease in these settings, we will validate the implementation of EIKEN T. cruzi loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) prototype in the field.
Total Funding
¥ 147,127,368
Our Team
Coordinator
-
Julio Alonso Padilla Assistant Research Professor and Director of the Chagas Initiative
ISGlobal Team
-
Aina Casellas Torrentó
-
Laura Ferradino Research Assistant
-
Quim Gascon Research Professor, Head of the Chagas, Parasitic and Imported Diseases programme, and Director of the Chagas Initiative -
Susana Méndez Bartolomé
-
Mirko Rojas Consultant and Field Coordinator in Bolivia -
SERGI SANZ Head of Department - Statistics
Other projects
See Past ProjectsMESA
Sharing knowledge and catalyzing research towards a malaria-free world
NHEPACHA
New Tools for the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Chagas Disease
RTS,S Vaccine Immunology Study
Study of immune correlates of protection against malaria after vaccination with RTS,S/AS01E: a comprehensive immunological arm of a Phase III double-blind, randomized, controlled multi-center trial
Euroleish.net
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GREPIMER
Grup de recerca en patología importada i malaties emergents i re-emergents
TESEO
New chemotherapy regimens and biomarkers for Chagas Disease
ASINTMAL
Unravelling Disease Tolerance and Host Resistance in Afebrile 'P. falciparum' Infections: a Prospective Study in Mozambican Adults
ADAM
Malaria mass and focal drug administration to advance malaria elimination in Mozambique: accelerating programmatic implementation and policy translation
MULTIPLY
MULTIple doses of IPTi Proposal: a Lifesaving high Yield intervention
Science4Pandemics
Citizens engagement digital platform for collective intelligence in pandemics
HIDDENVIVAX
Novel organ-on-a-chip technology to study extracellular vesicles-mediated cryptic infections in Plasmodium vivax malaria
Subclinical Infections in Children and Long Term Health Effects
Infection acquisition in early life and health outcomes in childhood - MARATO TV3
Herramienta innovadora de detección de enfermedades y vacunación a población inmigrante en riesgo en España
Project Code: PI21/00651
Impacto de las coinfecciones en el balance de respuestas de anticuerpos y linfocitos T helper a antígenos diana de inmunidad natural y vacunal frente a patógenos humanos prominentes
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MENA Migrant Health
Transforming data collection and surveillance to drive migrant health research, care and policy
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Social affairs and sex in P. falciparum: implications for malaria elimination
EpiGen
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SMART
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MalTransc
Transcriptional regulation of adaptation and developmental decisions in malaria parasites: from epigenetic variation to directed transcriptional responses
GenMoz
P. falciparum genomic intelligence in Mozambique
BOHEMIA
Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa
RESPONSE
Mechanisms of the transcriptional responses to changes in the environment in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
VivaxEVTalk
Extracellular Vesicles as Intercellular Communicators and Biomarkers of Cryptic Erythrocytic Infections in Plasmodium vivax malaria
VaMonoS
Unravelling the heterogoneity and function of monocytes in vaccination and immunity to malaria
CLIMSOCTRYPBOL
Insight on climate and social participatory research for integral management of vectorborne zoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. in the Bolivian Gran Chaco.
