Hi, I'm Gillian Currie and I'm MRF's Research Officer.
We've just announced the addition of five new projects to our research programme. This brings the number of current projects to 26 and a total of 133 projects funded since we began in 1988.
Our first new project is called Examination of two meningococcal surface proteins as potential vaccine targets and the lead research is Dr Christopher Bayliss, University of Leicester. The total cost of the this project is £184,369
This project will look at whether two proteins on the surface of the meningococcal bacteria could be a good target for a vaccine. Evidence already suggests that these proteins are important for the bacteria in helping them survive in the body. Stimulating our immune system to target them may provide important protection.
Find out more
Our second new project is Development of a molecular biology tool based algorithm to improve the diagnosis in the African Meningitis Belt. The lead researcher is Professor Samba Sow. Professor Sow is based at the Centre of Vaccine Development, Bamako, Mali. The total cost of this project is £70,800
The goal of this study is to design an algorithm or step by step guide that allows more Neisseria meningitidis infections to be classified.
At the moment, especially in Africa, many infections are classed as non-groupable when the strain is unknown. As well as groups A, B, C, X, Y and W135, much rarer groups H, 29E and cnl will also be included.
If successful, the algorithm will indicate how widespread each strain is and could also be applied in the UK.
Find out more
Recognition and action towards meningitis amongst patients, their families and health providers is a project jointly based at the n Blantyre Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the Malawi – Liverpool – Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme. Led by Prof Robert Heyderman, the project costs £68,946.50.
Unlike in the UK, in developing countries such as Malawi, early symptoms of bacterial meningitis are not commonly known and so death and disability rates are particularly high. This study will investigate the attitude towards meningitis in Malawi in both the family and healthcare setting. Understanding the possible barriers to seeking and accepting medical treatment will help to reduce the number of late presentations at hospital and so reduce the impact of meningitis as a disease.
Find out more
Professor Mike Levin and his team at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine have a £64,434 grant for An in-depth study of the genes involved with the susceptibility and the severity of meningococcal disease in children.
In the project DNA from both meningitis patients and healthy controls will be compared to try and find genes that may make some people more susceptible to or suffer from more severe meningococcal septicaemia. This will help scientists better understand the disease leading to possible new therapies and control measures.
Find out more
At the Vaccine Evaluation Unit of the Health Protection Agency North West in Manchester Professor Ray Borrow will be leading a project costing £66,792, Measuring immunity to meningococcal Y and W135 bacteria in England and Wales.
Meningococcal groups Y and W135 are rare compared to groups A, B and C. However, the immunity levels to these two strains are unknown.
This study aims to measure antibody levels across a wide range of age groups and compare this with carriage and disease rates. The results will be useful is assessing how much impact the new ACWY vaccine will have compared to just meningococcal A and C vaccines.
Find out more
Posted in MRF News by Gillian Currie on 21 June 2010
Bookmark