MALARIA
- NEED: Caused by parasites transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes, malaria puts nearly 3.2 billion people – almost half of the world’s population – at risk of disease. Malaria has flu-like symptoms, including fever, joint pain, headaches, frequent vomiting, convulsions and coma.
Every year, malaria kills more than 600,000 people and infects more than 200 million. Ninety percent of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria is a source of poverty as it often leaves its victims unable to work, become educated or take care of their families. While there are drugs available to treat the disease, there is a need for a malaria vaccine.
- FOCUS: Development of a vaccine to protect those living in malaria-prone regions would greatly decrease sickness and death in these areas and may be the only way to make a large impact on the disease in some countries.IDRI is a leading developer of adjuvants that stimulate the immune system. We have built a portfolio of proprietary adjuvants and are using our adjuvant technologies to empower the immune system to recognize and destroy malaria parasites. Data suggest that adjuvants will be an essential part of a successful malaria vaccine, and our adjuvants have been proven in preclinical models of malaria. We are working with collaborators to use our adjuvants as a component of a malaria vaccine.
CHAGAS DISEASE
Because T. cruzi infection can persist in asymptomatic adults for many years, the parasite has contaminated the blood supply in many areas of Latin America. Therefore, blood screening is vital to prevent infectious through transfusion and organ transplantation. In 2010, the U.S. FDA approved a test that utilizes IDRI technology to screen blood and organ donations for T. cruzi. This is one of only two FDA approved Chagas tests, and it is an important part of the screening procedures that help to maintain the safety of the blood supply. Our proprietary recombinant fusion protein is now being used in tests to diagnose Chagas Disease in the U.S. and Latin America. IDRI is developing new antigenic proteins to improve diagnosis.
Chagas disease is found mainly in endemic areas of 21 Latin American countries. About 6-7 million people worldwide are estimated to be infected. In pregnancy, however, the disease can be devastating; congenital infection with T. cruzi can cause miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death. Though the disease was once entirely confined primarily to Latin America, the disease has now spread to other continents and cases have been reported in the U.S.
AMEBIASIS