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Meet the teen who just won $75,000 for inventing a system to keep germs from spreading on airplanes - The Washington Post

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Meet the teen who just won $75,000 for inventing a system to keep germs from spreading on airplanes - The Washington Post

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Raymond Wang won the top prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair on Friday. (Kathy Wolfe/Intel)

Canadian student Raymond Wang, 17, won the world's largest high school science competition on Friday, taking home the top prize of $75,000 for inventing a new way to keep germs from spreading in airplane cabins.

"It's very exciting. I absolutely did not expect it," Wang said by telephone from Pittsburgh, host city for the finals of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. "It's literally the happiest day of my life."

Wang started thinking about the problem of disease transmission on airplanes in December, after a steady stream of news about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Ebola is not spread through the air, he learned, but other contagious diseases - including the H1N1 "swine" flu virus and SARS virus - are spread through the air.

And that's a problem in the cramped confines of airplane cabins, where everyone is breathing everyone else's air.

As Wang puts it: "With the traditional cabin, what's happening is you've got two large, turbulent swirls happening. You're spreading disease across the rows and longitudinally."

Can you say that more plainly? "When someone sneezes, there's a mess everywhere."

Here's Wang's video simulation of airflow in a "traditional cabin," i.e. the cabin that we're all subjected to when we fly now and his simulation of airflow in a cabin modified with his device:

Wang said he decided to tackle the problem when he discovered that few people in the airline industry were actively working on ways to improve the quality of airplane air.

He created high-resolution simulations of airflow inside the cabin of a commercial aircraft - a Boeing 737, to be specific. And then he used those simulations to design fin-shaped devices that fit into the airplane's existing air inlets.

The fins redirect the airflow, creating virtual walls of air around each passenger. Each person gets what Wang calls a "personalized ventilation zone" where sneezes are vanquished, pushed out of the cabin before they can spread in a turbulent burst.

His invention would improve the availability of fresh air in the cabin by 190 percent, he said, and would reduce the concentration of airborne germs by 55 times. Wang estimates that it would cost $1,000 per airplane and could be installed overnight, making it easy and economical for airlines.

And yes, he's already filed an application for a patent.

Wang is clearly not your average high school student. He did his project not for class but on the side, and he learned what he needed to know pretty much on his own, he said. "This year I had to pick up from scratch computational fluid dynamics," he said. "I kept going with it, watching some videos, looking at some papers."

This is Wang's first win at Intel's big international fair, but it isn't his first invention. He also invented a device that generates electricity from the impact energy of rain falling on roofs, as well as a self-cleaning outdoor garbage can. Now finishing his junior year in high school, he says he wants to study engineering and business in college.

"It's one thing to be able to come up with these great ideas, but another thing to be able to promote them to the entire world," he said.

Wang said he has long dreamed of competing in Intel's international fair, and the experience has lived up to his expectations. "Basically a lot of this work is master's or PhD-level research, and to see so many people sharing the same passions all gathered in one place, coming from across the world, is a very surreal experience," he said.

Two runners-up each received $50,000. They included Wang's fellow Canadian, Nicole Ticea, 16, who developed an inexpensive, disposable and electricity-free HIV-testing device for use in low-income communities. Ticea has already founded her own company to continue developing her technology.

Karan Jerath, 18, of Texas, was also a runner-up. Jerath refined a device to allow an undersea oil well to recover after a blowout.

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Meet the teen who just won $75,000 for inventing a system to keep germs from spreading on airplanes

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Canadian student Raymond Wang, 17, won the world's largest high school science competition on Friday, taking home the top prize of $75,000 for inventing a new way to keep germs from spreading in airplane cabins. "It's very exciting.

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Coloring Mosquitoes to Identify Infectious Diseases - UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News

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Coloring Mosquitoes to Identify Infectious Diseases - UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News

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University of Central Florida News | UCF Today

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A UCF College of Medicine researcher has designed a new mosquito surveillance tool that attracts the insects, diagnoses those carrying disease, and turns them a different color as a warning system to residents in at-risk areas throughout the world.

The project received a $100,000 Phase 1 Grand Challenges Explorations Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation this week, the third in UCF history.

Mosquitoes are a serious health threat worldwide and carry illnesses like malaria, dengue and chikungunya. In Florida they have been known to transmit West Nile virus and cases of chikungunya are emerging in the state. A major challenge in fighting these diseases is creating a warning system to empower communities to take preventative measures. College of Medicine assistant scientist Bradley Willenberg, an engineer by training, has developed a new mosquito trap to do just that.

The trap would exude an odorous blend that is especially attractive to specific species of disease-carrying mosquitoes. Once inside the trap, the mosquito will encounter a wick-based device Willenberg helped invent. The wick would be soaked with a red-colored sugar water that mosquitoes love to consume. But the food also contains modified microscopic gold nanoparticles that will react to specific proteins found in a disease. If the mosquito carries the disease, as it feeds, its enlarging belly would turn from red to blue. Mosquitoes that don't carry the disease would stay red. Insecticide would also be in the solution and would kill the insects within a matter of minutes. By looking in the trap, residents of at-risk areas would be able to see the colors of the dead mosquitoes and know if their community has disease-carrying species - without having to send the dead insects to a lab for analysis. The numbers of blue insects in the trap would indicate the seriousness of the infestation.

"Our goal is to provide a mosquito surveillance tool that attracts specific mosquito species and marks those carrying infectious human disease pathogens." said Willenberg. "This novel trap can help everyday people readily identify their risks and protect themselves from mosquito-borne illnesses."

Working with medical entomologists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service Center for Medical Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Willenberg's team will adapt and test exiting mosquito attractants to appeal to specific mosquito species. He is working with Sudipta Seal, UCF's interim chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department, director of UCF's Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center and NanoScience Technology Center. His team will provide the nanotechnology expertise and create nanostructures that will react to a specific disease protein present in infected mosquitoes.

Willenberg is also collaborating with University of Florida entomologists to test the new tool on mosquitoes infected with chikungunya. If successful, the technology could be easily adapted to mosquitoes carrying other illnesses, Willenberg said.

"This will be a significant advancement and another wonder in what nanotechnology can offer, and truly testifies to the power of interdisciplinary research," Seal said.

A color "readout" of mosquito populations doesn't currently exist. To determine if disease-carrying mosquitoes are in an area, they must be collected, taken back to a lab, ground up and analyzed using sophisticated molecular biology techniques to confirm they carry the pathogen.

When it comes to insects, the World Health Organization calls mosquitoes the "greatest menace" to public health, responsible for causing several million deaths and hundreds of millions of illnesses each year across the globe. Forty percent of the world population lives in areas where malaria is endemic and that mosquito-borne disease kills up to 2.7 million a year. Dengue sickens 20 million people a year. Chikungunya produces fever and joint pain that can be severe and debilitating.

The new wick-based devices are easy to use in the field because they have no moving parts and require no power; the wick and sugar water reservoirs are totally self-contained and protected from the environment.

Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and founding dean of the College of Medicine, said the research and the Gates Foundation award show the power of partnership and innovation in solving healthcare problems worldwide. "When we bring together discoverers with diverse perspectives, we create innovative new ideas for the good of us all," she said.

Willenberg joined UCF in 2014. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in biomedical engineering.

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Coloring Mosquitoes to Identify Infectious Diseases

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A UCF College of Medicine researcher has designed a new mosquito surveillance tool that attracts the insects, diagnoses those carrying disease, and turns them a different color as a warning system to residents in at-risk areas throughout the world. The project received a $100,000 Phase 1 Grand Challenges Explorations Grant from the Bill & Melinda [...]

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Whale sharks could hold clues about fighting diseases - YouTube

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Whale sharks could hold clues about fighting diseases - YouTube

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Whale sharks could hold clues about fighting diseases

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Scientists are studying the sharks to help fight infectious and autoimmune diseases in humans Watch Jonathan Serrie talk about Infectious Disease.

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WHO Vacancy: Scientist (Vaccines Assessment), Geneva, Switzerland | UNjobs

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WHO Vacancy: Scientist (Vaccines Assessment), Geneva, Switzerland | UNjobs

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WHO Vacancy: Scientist (Vaccines Assessment), Geneva, Switzerland | UNjobs

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The Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products (EMP) works with Member states and partners to improve the access to essential medicines and other health technologies of assured quality, safety and efficacy or effectiveness.

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Gates Foundation funds new vaccine innovation center in Seattle for disease-fighting technology - GeekWire

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Gates Foundation funds new vaccine innovation center in Seattle for disease-fighting technology - GeekWire

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is partnering with pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur and the nonprofit Infectious Disease Research Institute to create a new organization dedicated to advancing disease fighting technologies.

The Global Health Vaccine Center of Innovation, or GHVCI, will operate out of IDRI's headquarters in Seattle. It's getting off the ground with a total of $9.5 million in grants both from the Gates Foundation and Sanofi.

The organization hopes to pull from IDRI's expertise in designing vaccines, Sanofi position as a worldwide drug manufacturer and seller, and the Gates Foundation's financial support to launch collaborative research projects aimed at broadening the availability of vaccines, particularly in developing countries.

A IDRI spokeswoman says scientists will begin meeting in Seattle in the coming months. First, all three organizations will work together to choose a particular disease to target. Then they'll go out looking to collaborate with other health organizations already working in the space.

"We need a new model for vaccine development, one that enables us to rapidly produce vaccines at a lower cost," said Steven Reed, founder and Chief Scientific Officer for IDRI. "The blend of the Gates Foundation's knowledge of global health and Sanofi's depth of vaccine development expertise is a perfect match for IDRI's unique technologies and research and development engine, allowing us to take a new approach to vaccine development."

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Gates Foundation funds new vaccine innovation center in Seattle for disease-fighting technology

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is partnering with pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur and the nonprofit Infectious Disease Research Institute to create a new organization dedicated to advancing disease fighting technologies. The Global Health Vaccine Center of Innovation, or GHVCI, will...

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Infectious disease expert Desiree LaBeaud is mapping outbreaks of Zika, dengue and chikungunya, three viral diseases transmitted by the same mosquitoes.

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Top 10 foods that naturally boost your immune system

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Top 10 foods that naturally boost your immune system

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There are many important lifestyle changes that you can make to improve your immune system's ability to fight viruses and infectious diseases like measles. You have probably heard most of this advice many times over: Don't smoke, exercise regularly, only drink alcohol in moderation, get plenty of sleep, maintain a healthy weight and eat a variety of nutritious fruits and vegetables.

This last bit of advice is especially important. The nutrients in food not only help fight off bacteria and viruses when you are ill but can also boost your immune system, which can prevent you from getting sick in the first place. Food can naturally boost your immunity and fight off infections.

Fermented foods

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, pickled beets, Korean kimchi, nattō, fermented tofu and even miso are all fermented foods that are great for digestion and also boost your immunity. According to VegKitchen, unprocessed fermented foods boost the immune system by increasing antibodies in your body that help fight infectious disease. Some fermented foods provide antioxidants that scavenge free radicals. The list of the great health benefits from fermented foods is extensive, and you can read all the great ways that fermented foods boost the immune system naturally at VegKitchen.com.

Whole foods

Sugar from fruit juices can cause yeast overgrowth. This can hinder immune function. Too much sugar can also inhibit phagocytosis - white blood cells engulfing viruses and bacteria. Junk food is loaded with hidden sugars and may also lead to malnutrition. Malnourishment suppresses the immune system and makes you more susceptible to illness. Processed foods are full of sugar - stick to whole foods, which are more nutritious and help build up your immunity. Check labeling on packages to see how much added sugar a product has. In many cases, you may be surprised to find how much sugar you are inadvertently consuming every day!

Avocado

Avocado is a great food for reducing stress. Many studies focus on stress and how it affects the body. We know that stress can lower immunity and which can make you more susceptible to infectious disease. In 1998, M.R. Sapolsky wrote a book called Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide to Stress-Related Disease, and Coping. In it, he sums up a major issue with the stresses that modern people face: "[S]tress-related disease emerges, predominantly, out of the fact that we so often activate a physiological system that has evolved for responding to acute physical emergencies, but we turn it on for months on end, worrying about mortgages, relationships, and promotions." Additionally, a 1991 study called "Stress and Infectious Disease in Humans" points out that "stress is associated with... increased onset and reactivation of verified infectious disease."

Red bell peppers

These peppers are loaded with vitamin C. Ounce by ounce, red bell peppers have more vitamin C than most citrus fruits! Vitamin C is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system.

A 2009 study in the German journal Medizinischen Monatsschrift für Pharmazeuten ( Medical Monthly Journal for Pharmacists) found that vitamin C intake can reduce the duration of the cold in healthy persons. The study noted that supplementation of vitamin C is also effective in cases of physical strain.

Broccoli

Broccoli's many vitamins include vitamins C, A and E. This cruciferous vegetable provides many antioxidants which can be absorbed when eaten both raw and cooked. One study conducted by UCLA found that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli can restore the body's immunity, which is particularly important as we age. Dr. Andre Nel, one of the main writers of the study, said, "Dietary antioxidants have been shown to have important effects on immune function, and with further study, we may be adding broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables to that list."

Garlic

Garlic has been used for centuries to improve the immune system. It is known to reduce cholesterol and prevent the hardening of arteries. The immune-boosting properties of garlic derives from one of its sulfur-containing compounds called allicin.

Garlic was crushed into wine as (attempted) protection against the plague by gravediggers in 18th century France, and in World War I and World War II soldiers were given garlic to protect against gangrene. Garlic is known to fight off free radicals and it is believed that eating garlic regularly can protect against the development of cancer.

Ginger

Ginger contains gingerol, which is closely related to capsaicin. Ginger boosts the immune system because it contains strong antioxidants, inhibiting inflammation and helping to assimilate calcium.
In Ayurveda medicine, it is believed that ginger warms the body and this helps the body break down toxins in the organs. Ginger may also cleanse the lymphatic system and this can stop the accumulation of toxins. Build-up of toxins can lead to a lower immune system and this can make you more likely to succumb to infections.

Spinach

Spinach is full of vitamin C and is also rich in antioxidants and beta-carotene, which help fight infections in the immune system. Cook spinach as little as possible in order to help it retain its nutrients.

One mineral that can support immune function in zinc. According to WHFoods.com, zinc is "a potent immunostimulant, and its deficiency can result in profound suppression of T-cell function." Eating zinc in whole foods like spinach is an excellent way to support your immune system.

Yogurt

Yogurt's live and active cultures can boost your immune system to help it fight diseases. Yogurt is also full of vitamin D. The immune system needs nutritional help, particularly in aging populations. Older people often have weakened immune systems, and using a nutritious diet to boost the immune system can help vulnerable populations fight off even common infections like the cold.

Turmeric

Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory root that can help boost immunity by fighting inflammation. The active ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin, and curcumin is an antiviral and antifungal compound that also acts as an antioxidant. If cooking with turmeric, couple it with black pepper to increase the absorption of good nutrients in the body.

Bonus immune-boosting food:

Cabbage

Cabbage is a wonderful source of glutamine, which is an immune-strengthening compound. Cabbage of any variety - white, red, Chinese - is an efficient and cheap way to improve your immunity. Toss cabbage in soups to easily get your boost of glutamine!

Cabbage is one of those foods which retains more nutrients the less you cook it. When adding cabbage to your cooking, try putting this vegetable in at the very end to prevent overcooking it and reducing its nutritional value.
Sources Prevention.com KungFu.Psy.CMU.edu Healthline.com Boost-Immune-System-Naturally.com FixYourGut.com Science.NaturalNews.com Newsroom.UCLA.edu Blog.DoctorOz.com WHFoods.com DrFrankLipman.com NatureWord.com DrDavidWilliams.com
Sapolsky, R. M. (1998). Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping. New York: Freeman.

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Top 10 foods that naturally boost your immune system

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There are many important lifestyle changes that you can make to improve your immune system's ability to fight viruses and infectious diseases like measles. You have probably heard most of this advice many times over: Don't smoke, exercise regularly, only drink alcohol in moderation, get plenty of sleep, maintain a healthy weight and eat a [...]

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China, Japan, S. Korea vow to enhance cooperation in fighting against infectious diseases | health | Finland Times

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China, Japan, S. Korea vow to enhance cooperation in fighting against infectious diseases | health | Finland Times

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prime minister alexander stubb (national coalition
party)

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deputy prime minister (also responsible for the ministry of
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affairs erkki tuomioja (social democratic party)

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party)

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health laura räty (national coalition party)

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minister of health and
social services susanna huovinen (social democratic party)

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minister
of the environment ville niinistö (green league)

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and minister of
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The world largest fast-food chain McDonald's has announced that it plans to close several outlets in Finland this autumn, reported Finnish national broadcaster Yle on Sunday. McDonald's ... details

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HIV spreads faster as violent conflict looms -- ScienceDaily

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HIV spreads faster as violent conflict looms -- ScienceDaily

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from research organizations

A new study of the relationship between violent conflict and HIV incidence in sub-Saharan Africa finds that HIV incidence may be at its worst in the period before hostilities break out. The Brown University analysis reports that the rate of new infections rises significantly in the five years leading up to bloodshed.

"It implies that there is something going on in social, political, and health care environments in those years that are conducive to HIV spread," said Brady Bennett, lead author of the study published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Prior studies examining how war may affect the HIV epidemic have produced mixed, and even conflicting, results, said senior author Mark Lurie, associate professor of epidemiology in the Brown University School of Public Health. Lurie and Bennett, who was earning a Master of Public Health degree at Brown, worked together to produce a more comprehensive data set than had existed before and to conduct more rigorous analysis than had previously been done.

The new study tracked HIV incidence statistics in 36 sub-Saharan countries from 1990 through 2012 and correlated them with periods of conflict and peace in each country. The research team was therefore able to calculate how the incidence rose and fell in each country in relation to violence, while controlling for other factors such as economic development, refugee influx, and the year of the region's broader epidemic, which generally peaked in 1996.

Compared to times of peace, the analysis showed, HIV incidence increased by 2.1 infections per 1000 people a year in the five years before a conflict where at least 25 people died as a result of fighting. The researchers also found that during conflict the incidence rate declined by 0.07 infections per 1000 people, compared to times of peace. The study defines conflict as violence that claims at least 25 battle-related deaths. Researchers found that as conflicts became more bloody, HIV incidence tended to drift down a bit more.

Each country had a different HIV trajectory through war and peace (some had no conflict at all), but countries such as Burundi, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Uganda all endured their highest HIV incidence rates in periods before conflict and lower rates during conflict.

The study does not explain what is going on overall or in any single country that might account for changes in HIV incidence. Bennett said the finding that HIV incidence might decline during intense conflict is likely not because conflict somehow makes anything better. Instead, he said, fighting likely undermines accurate data collection, leaving many new infections undetected.

But he said research is urgently needed, in light of the findings, to understand how the descent into conflict may lead to faster HIV spread. Determining the answers could make governments and aid organizations more effective in preventing the problem from arising.

The findings suggest that waiting to intervene until conflict is already underway may miss a major opportunity to prevent new infections.

"What our paper points to is that we need to better understand the precipitating factors that drive conflict precisely because we've identified that as a period of particular vulnerability where HIV incidence is likely to be increased," Lurie said.

Journal Reference:

Brady W. Bennett, Brandon D. L. Marshall, Annie Gjelsvik, Stephen T. McGarvey, Mark N. Lurie. HIV Incidence Prior to, during, and after Violent Conflict in 36 Sub-Saharan African Nations, 1990-2012: An Ecological Study. PLOS ONE, 2015; 10 (11): e0142343 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142343

Cite This Page:

Below are relevant articles that may interest you. ScienceDaily shares links and proceeds with scholarly publications in the TrendMD network.

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hiv and aids; infectious diseases; sexual health; std; conflict; social issues; public health; scientific conduct

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HIV spreads faster as violent conflict looms

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A new analysis of HIV incidence in 36 sub-Saharan African countries finds that new HIV infections rise significantly in the five years before armed conflict breaks out. The new study tracked HIV incidence statistics in 36 sub-Saharan countries from 1990 through 2012 and correlated them with periods of conflict and peace in each country.

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'Good' mozzie virus might hold key to fighting human disease -- ScienceDaily

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'Good' mozzie virus might hold key to fighting human disease -- ScienceDaily

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Australian scientists have discovered a new virus carried by one of the country's most common pest mosquitoes.

The new virus -- known as Parramatta River virus -- infects only mosquitoes and doesn't pose any direct health risks to people, according to University of Queensland (UQ) and University of Sydney researchers.

Dr Jody Hobson-Peters, of UQ's Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, said the discovery could pave the way to stopping outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease.

"Viruses are typically viewed as harmful," she said.

"Rarely do we consider that some viruses may hold the key to fighting back against human disease.

"The presence of Parramatta River virus or other similar "good" viruses in a mosquito may make it harder for the human disease-causing 'bad' viruses to also infect that mosquito, thus stopping disease transmission.

"This discovery highlights how little we know about mosquitoes and their relationships with pathogens.

By learning about mosquito-borne viruses we may be better able to predict outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease."

University of Sydney medical entomologist Dr Cameron Webb said the saltmarsh Aedes vigilax mosquito, responsible for spreading Ross River virus, was one of the most common pest mosquitoes in coastal regions of Australia, including Sydney and Brisbane.

"It probably bites more people than any other mosquito," he said.

"With this discovery, we could find a way to vaccinate mosquitoes and stop their bites making thousands of Australians sick every summer."

Queensland and New South Wales recorded a big outbreak of Ross River virus, with this year thousands of people falling ill.

Parramatta River virus was discovered in saltmarsh mosquitos collected just west of the Sydney CBD in 2007, and its presence was again confirmed last year and this year in Brisbane.

Dr Hobson-Peters and colleagues, including UQ PhD student Breeanna McLean, developed and implemented a new system to rapidly screen thousands of mosquitoes for the new virus.

"It's incredibly exciting that we detected Parramatta River virus using our new virus discovery system," Ms McLean said.

"Never before have we been able to assess mosquito populations for novel viruses so easily."

The virus was isolated, cultured and described from a "soup" of mosquitoes collected in the wetlands along the Parramatta River.

Journal Reference:

Breeanna J. McLean, Jody Hobson-Peters, Cameron E. Webb, Daniel Watterson, Natalie A. Prow, Hong Duyen Nguyen, Sonja Hall-Mendelin, David Warrilow, Cheryl A. Johansen, Cassie C. Jansen, Andrew F. van den Hurk, Nigel W. Beebe, Esther Schnettler, Ross T. Barnard, Roy A. Hall. A novel insect-specific flavivirus replicates only in Aedes-derived cells and persists at high prevalence in wild Aedes vigilax populations in Sydney, Australia. Virology, 2015; 486: 272 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.07.021

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viruses; infectious diseases; ebola; malaria; herpes; cold and flu; hiv and aids; chronic fatigue syndrome

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'Good' mozzie virus might hold key to fighting human disease

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A new virus has been discovered that is carried by one of the Australia's most common pest mosquitoes. The new virus -- known as Parramatta River virus -- infects only mosquitoes and doesn't pose any direct health risks to people, according to the researchers.

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Fighting Infectious Diseases - New Strategy - Medical News Today

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Fighting Infectious Diseases - New Strategy - Medical News Today

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Drugs for infectious diseases have so far been designed to kill the bug itself. However a study published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that these medications could be designed to obstruct the pathogen's entry into cells instead.

According to the investigators, this new approach is important as several bacteria and parasites can become resistant to medications that target them.

The team used an investigational agent to prevent one type of an enzyme in cell cultures and mice. This agent blocked a specific parasite from invading white blood cells, an action required in order for the parasite to cause infection. In addition, this approach applies to pathogens that need to invade a host cell in order to survive and cause damage.

The investigators tested the experimental drug against Leishmania parasites. These parasites are transmitted by the bite of a certain species of sand fly and take over a host's white blood cells and cause a skin infection - cutaneous leishmaniasis - which is characterized by skin sores of various sizes.

This skin infection is prevalent in subtropical and tropical regions of the world. Each year it is estimated that 1.5 million individuals are infected by these parasites worldwide.

Abhay Satoskar, professor of pathology at Ohio State University and senior author of the investigation explains:

"This represents a new way of thinking about treatment for infectious diseases. This was a proof of concept to see whether this emerging strategy is viable. We aren't claiming we have a new drug for treatment. If we know this strategy works, then drugs can be developed that target different pathways in the host that could be important for pathogen invasion and survival."

Currently, drugs used to treat the skin disease must be injected daily for three weeks and can cause damage to veins. In addition the medication can cause a variety of adverse effects. Combined the injections and adverse effects can result in poor patient compliance, which can then lead to the parasites developing resistance against medications.

Agents that target specific elements of the infection process inside the host body have started being developed by researchers in order to work around the pathogen's abilities to develop resistance against treatment.

One investigational drug called AS-605240 targets the P13K gamma enzyme that is stimulated when white blood cells detect an invader and the host body initiates an immune response.

P13K regulates cell movement and alterations to a cell membrane that allows a pathogen to enter the cell wall. AS-605240 is designed to prevent the activity of P13K.

The team conducted a series of tests on animal cell cultures to show that P13K controls white blood cell activity in the immune response to Leishmania mexicana infection and that AS-605240 considerably reduces the parasites ability to enter white blood cell walls.

Furthermore, the researchers discovered that AS-605240 reduced the number of phagocytes (one type of white blood cell), meaning the parasites had less chances of finding cells they could enter.

These experiments were then conducted in mice, with the same results. The team then compared the current standard drug treatment, sodium stibogluconate with AS-605240 treatment of Leishmania infection in mice.

The team found that after two weeks of treatment, both the standard treatment and the investigational treatment produced very similar effects, and both lowered the number of parasites within skin lesions than untreated lesions. In mice who received both treatments the effects were stronger than in mice that received just one type of treatment.

Satoskar plans to fine-tune the approach as well as consider additional host-based pathways to prevent parasites from causing infection. Results from the study indicate that such a strategy could but used for both treatment and prevention.

Satoskar explained:

"There is no prevention for these kinds of diseases. If we had a drug that would reduce the amount of phagocytes coming to the site of infection after parasites enter the skin, that would lead to less severe infection that the body could probably control on its own.

Some people can self-heal from a Leishmania infection, but the time it takes is unpredictable so infections are typically treated."

The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Written by Grace Rattue

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Fighting Infectious Diseases - New Strategy

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Drugs for infectious diseases have so far been designed to kill the bug itself. However a study published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that these medications could be designed to obstruct the pathogen's entry into cells instead.

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