Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Invests in 81 Unconventional Global Health Research
Projects
SEATTLE, May 5 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
$100,000 grants will explore how unique approaches, including
the use of tomatoes, cows and magnets, can be used to prevent infectious
disease
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced 81 grants of
US$100,000 each to explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve health
in developing countries. The grants were awarded to researchers in 17
countries through the foundation's Grand Challenges Explorations initiative,
which aims to develop a pipeline of creative ideas that could change the face
of global health.
The projects focus on novel approaches to prevent and treat infectious
diseases, such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrheal
diseases. The first round of 104 Grand Challenges Explorations grants was
announced in October 2008.
"Investments in global health research are already paying big dividends.
An incredible number of new vaccines, drugs, and other tools are becoming
available to improve health in developing countries," said Dr. Tachi Yamada,
president of the Gates Foundation's Global Health Program. "Grand Challenges
Explorations is our way to help inspire the bold ideas that could one day
help transform global health."
The 81 funded researchers will explore a wide range of new ideas,
including giving mosquitoes a "head cold" to prevent them from detecting and
biting humans; developing a tomato to deliver antiviral drugs; and using a
laser to enhance the effect of vaccines.
One of the new grants was awarded to Dr. Bikul Das of Stanford University
Medical School, who has studied cancer stem cell biology for the last decade
but maintains an interest in infectious diseases due to clinical training in
India and Bhutan. The new grant will enable him to explore the potential role
of stem cells in latent TB infection.
"I am so excited to have this opportunity to join the war against
infectious diseases," said Dr. Das, who read about Grand Challenges
Explorations on a plane after speaking at a cancer stem cell conference. "I
hope my expertise on cancer and stem cell biology can help enhance the field
and relieve suffering."
Examples of other funded projects include:
* New tools to diagnose and treat diseases:
- Luke Savage and Dave Newman of the University of Exeter in the U.K.
will attempt to build an inexpensive, battery-powered instrument to diagnose malaria
by using magnets to detect the waste products of the
malaria parasite in human blood samples.
- Boitumelo Semete at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
in South Africa will attempt to develop "sticky nanoparticles" that attach to
tuberculosis-infected cells and slowly release anti-TB drugs.
The new therapy could shorten treatment time and reduce side effects,
using existing medications.
- Eric Lam at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in the U.S.
will work to develop a tomato that delivers antiviral drugs when eaten.
- Erich Cerny of Wissenschaftlicher Fonds Onkologie in Switzerland, along
with his brother Thomas, will test whether inducing antibodies against
anti-malarial drugs can significantly prolong the half-life of those
drugs in the body, extending their effects.
* Creative ways to prevent mosquitoes from infecting humans:
- Fredros Okumu of Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania will attempt to
design a network of outdoor mosquito traps to help reduce malaria
transmission in rural areas.
- Thomas Baker at Pennsylvania State University in the U.S. will examine
the potential to infect malaria-carrying mosquitoes with a fungus that
-- like a head cold -- suppresses their sense of smell and their
ability to find human hosts.
- Jefferson Vaughan at the University of North Dakota in the U.S. seeks
to immunize cattle against mosquitoes. Mosquitoes that bite an
immunized cow might then die or have reduced ability to reproduce.
* More efficient and effective vaccines:
- Lucia Lopalco of the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Italy will
seek ways to generate "self-targeting antibodies" that attack a receptor
protein on human immune cells -- potentially blocking the HIV virus from
entering cells and preventing HIV infection.
- Fasseli Coulibaly at Monash University in Australia will test whether
protein crystals produced by insect viruses can be used as a new way to
deliver vaccines. These "MicroCube" protein particles are stable, could
be used against multiple diseases, and may not require refrigeration.
- Mei Wu at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in
the U.S. will explore whether illuminating skin with a targeted laser
before administering a vaccine can enhance immune response.
Applicants were selected from more than 3,000 proposals in the second
round. All levels of scientists are represented -- from veteran researchers
to young post-graduate investigators -- as are a range of disciplines, such
as neurobiology, immunology, and polymer science. The grantees are based at
universities, research institutes, nonprofit organizations, and private
companies in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North
America.
Learn more about the complete list of Grand Challenges funded projects.
About Grand Challenges Explorations
Grand Challenges Explorations is a five-year $100 million initiative to
promote innovation in global health. It is part of the Grand Challenges in
Global Health initiative, which is supported by the Gates Foundation to
achieve major breakthroughs in global health.
Applications for the next round of Grand Challenges Explorations are
being accepted through May 28, 2009. Grant application instructions,
including the list of topic areas in which proposals are currently being
accepted, are available at the Grand Challenges Explorations website.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In
developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them
the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the
United States, it seeks to ensure that all people -- especially those with
the fewest resources -- have access to the opportunities they need to succeed
in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by
CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of
Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Learn more at
For high-resolution still photography and information about the
foundation's work, please visit:
SOURCE: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
CONTACT: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ,
+1-206-709-3400,
media@gatesfoundation.org
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