[TRANSPHORM] Eliminating Leishmaniasis: Novel Strategies to Prevent Leishmania Transmission and Control Sand Flies through Pharmacological Treatment
Ente: European Commission
Scadenza: 2031-05-31
Importo max: 1.999.740 EUR
Paese: EU
Descrizione
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania parasites, forms a significant health challenge in the Indian subcontinent and Eastern Africa. Despite substantial progress towards elimination, critical challenges persist in the ‘last mile’ to achieve and maintain elimination. I propose the innovative 5-year TRANSPHORM project, where I will develop novel pharmacological strategies to prevent Leishmania transmission and control sand fly vectors. Patients with the skin infection post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) are one of the main transmission reservoirs for VL in India. We will examine how treatment can be more focused on reducing the infectiousness of these patients and when they stop being infectious to sand flies. In addition, I will investigate drug exposure within sand flies taking a blood meal on patients on treatment and its effect on parasite survival to determine optimal drug regimens from a transmission perspective. New vector control tools for VL are urgently needed in the maintenance phase of elimination. A proof-of-concept study will evaluate whether ivermectin can be used as an insecticidal agent to treat PKDL patients and the optimal dose to kill sandflies feeding on them. Lastly, a targeted mass drug administration approach, using single-dose ivermectin and/or a short antileishmanial drug regimen, will be evaluated in a cluster randomized trial on community members around VL and PKDL index patients, aiming to reduce sand fly populations and prevent transmission in a more targeted way compared to current vector control strategies.
Together, this project will provide the data and various novel pharmacological vector control tools to support and enable VL control programmes to reach and maintain elimination. In addition, the project will ultimately result in improved and optimized treatments for PKDL and other forms of leishmaniasis. This innovative approach has the potential to transform leishmaniasis control.
Settori: pharmacometrics, neglected tropical diseases, vector control, mass drug administration, pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics
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