UK:Brazil Joint Centre Partnership in Leishmaniasis (JCPiL)

• Grant number: 18/14398-0
• Support type: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Duration: September 01, 2019 - August 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology
• Cooperation agreement: MRC, UKRI ; Newton Fund, with FAPESP as a partner institution in Brazil
• Principal Investigator: Angela Kaysel Cruz
• Grantee: Angela Kaysel Cruz
• Principal investigator abroad: Jeremy Mottram
• Institution abroad: University of York, England
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Co-Principal Investigators: Dario Simões Zamboni ; Hiro Goto ; Luiz Ricardo Orsini Tosi
• Assoc. researchers: José Angelo Lauletta Lindoso ; Mírian Nacagami Sotto
• Associated scholarship(s): 20/01883-7 - Does signalling during DNA replication stress drive genome diversity in Leishmania?, BP.PD; 20/00087-2 - Functional validation of potential non-coding RNAs differentially expressed during Leishmania viannia braziliensis life cycle, BP.PD; 20/02372-6 - Actions coordinated by the enzyme Arginine Methyltransferase 5 of Leishmania braziliensis, BP.PD; + associated scholarships 20/00088-9 - Epigenetic regulation of Leishmania gene expression, BP.PD; 20/01323-1 - Evaluation of the role of inflammasomes in Leishmania infantum infection of mice, BP.TT; 19/26621-8 - Evaluation of the role of inflammasomas and their signaling pathways in murine experimental infection by Leishmania infantum, BP.PD; 19/18607-5 - Computational identification and structural characterization of non-coding RNA in Leishmania braziliensis, BP.PD; 19/25393-1 - UK:Brazil Joint Centre Partnership in Leishmaniasis (JCPiL). work plan 1 molecular pathology of leishmaniasis: towards host-directed therapy in leishmaniases, BP.PD - associated scholarships

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a devastating parasitic disease that targets the poorest of society and is the 9th largest global infectious disease burden (WHO). It is truly a Neglected Infectious Disease as the combined financial support of basic and clinical research equates to <2% of infectious disease R&D resources available. Consequently, there are no vaccines available currently and the limited available treatments are repurposed from other applications, have severe side effects; including anaphylaxis, growing drug resistances and are inappropriate for the primarily juvenile leishmaniasis patients. Disease pathologies range from tegumental (mucocutaneous and cutaneous leishmaniasis) to visceral and cases in Brazil alone range from 20,000 TL to 3,500 VL per annum.The UK:Brazil Joint Centre Partnership in leishmaniasis (JCPiL) will fund five inter-related projects and 3 workshops to promote research at the interface of basic and clinical science, to extend existing collaborations between UK and Brazil and to develop new partnerships and interdisciplinary ways of working. Travel will be used to cross train PIs, PDRAs and PhD students in the foremost technologies and expertise available worldwide. Studies will be focused on understanding parasite genetic diversity in the context of variations of Leishmania infectivity and virulence factor expression, mechanisms of immune evasion, diversity of host response, resultant immunopathology and sustained activation that drives chronic disease. We will investigate novel molecular targets of vulnerable pathways that are essential to Leishmania viability, optimise techniques and diagnostic markers to predict and definitively categorize patient pathology profiles to inform more bespoke, effective treatment design. Our JCPiL will create new collaborations in order to build sustainable, fundable future projects and make an impact on this deadly disease. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ANDRADE, WARRISON A.; ZAMBONI, DARIO S. NLRC4 biology in immunity and inflammation. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, JUN 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

DE CARVALHO, RENAN V. H.; ZAMBONI, DARIO S. Inflammasome Activation in Response to Intracellular Protozoan Parasites. Trends in Parasitology, v. 36, n. 5, p. 459-472, MAY 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.