Elephantiasis News and Research

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Elephantiasis is a disease that is characterized by the thickening of the skin and underlying tissues, especially in the legs, male genitals.

New genetic editing tools could stop the spread of mosquito diseases

Since the onset of the CRISPR genetic editing revolution, scientists have been working to leverage the technology in the development of gene drives that target pathogen-spreading mosquitoes such as Anopheles and Aedes species, which spread malaria, dengue and other life-threatening diseases.

29 May 2021

Scientists decipher the structure of protein found in parasites that cause neglected tropical diseases

Brazilian researchers have managed to decipher the structure of a protein found in parasites that cause neglected tropical diseases, paving the way to the development of novel medications.

8 Jan 2021

Researchers receive $2.95 million grant to create improved diagnostics for worm infections

Global campaigns to eliminate two tropical parasitic worm infections have been hindered by a lack of good diagnostic tools.

7 Jan 2021

Researchers identify traditional Ghanaian medicines to eradicate neglected tropical diseases

The discovery of new drugs is vital to achieving the eradication of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Africa and around the world.

4 Jan 2021

Illustrations by Nigerian artist kickstart debate on neglected tropical disease

Illustrations by a local artist in Nigeria are helping health workers and policy makers understand what it's really like to live with a neglected tropical disease (NTD).

5 Nov 2020

Study shows how common drug paralyzes the parasites that cause elephantiasis

For years, many scientists and medical professionals likely misunderstood how a commonly prescribed medication for elephantiasis battled the disease, but a new study sets the record straight.

18 Aug 2020

Natural compund in cedar and grapefruit skin could help repel mosquitoes and ticks says CDC

Over the last few years, there has been a rise in the number of cases of diseases caused by mosquito and tick bites. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that a natural chemical compound could help combat this problem. This compound Nootkatone is found commonly in cedar trees, and grapefruit skin says the organization.

11 Aug 2020

UC Riverside scientist to shed light on worm infections that escape detection by immune systems

It's likely that billions of people are unaware they have been infected with parasitic worms. A UC Riverside scientist has won $1.8 million to try and understand why.

20 Jul 2020

Scientists track down a potential target for new sleeping sickness drugs

Using ultra-bright X-ray flashes, a team of researchers has tracked down a potential target for new drugs against sleeping sickness: The scientists have decoded the detailed spatial structure of a vital enzyme of the pathogen, the parasite Trypanosoma brucei.

30 Jan 2020

Using genomics to identify promising novel treatment for lymphatic filariasis

Using innovative RNA sequencing techniques, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Institute for Genome Sciences identified a promising novel treatment for lymphatic filariasis, a disabling parasitic disease that is difficult to treat.

3 Dec 2019

Common gout medications can kill elephantiasis-causing parasites

Treatment with two common FDA-approved gout medications have been found to cause rapid death to the parasites that cause elephantiasis.

3 Oct 2019

WHO revise treatment guidelines of lymphatic filariasis due to CWRU-led study

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have shown that a single "cocktail" of three pill-based anti-parasite medications is significantly more effective at killing microscopic larval worms in people diagnosed with lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, than other standard two-drug combinations previously used in the global effort to eliminate this infectious disease.

9 Nov 2018

Scientists develop urine diagnostic to detect parasitic worms that cause river blindness

Scientists at Scripps Research have developed a urine diagnostic to detect the parasitic worms that cause river blindness, also called onchocerciasis, a tropical disease that afflicts 18 to 120 million people worldwide.

28 Aug 2018

Mosquito screening found to be useful for tracking recurrence of lymphatic filariasis

To ensure elimination of the Wuchereria bancrofti, a parasitic roundworm that causes lymphatic filariasis, public health workers must follow up mass drug administration with careful monitoring for recurrence.

27 Jul 2018

Fruit fly research leads to potential drug for debilitating diseases caused by parasitic worms

River blindness and elephantiasis are debilitating diseases caused by parasitic worms that infect as many as 150 million people worldwide.

13 Jul 2018

LSTM researchers find new way to reduce treatment for some parasitic diseases

Researchers from LSTM's Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics have found a way of significantly reducing the treatment required for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis from several weeks to seven days. By targeting Wolbachia, a bacterial symbiont that the filarial parasites need to live, the team has discovered a drug synergy that enables effective treatment over a shorter time.

24 Oct 2017

Elephantiasis News and Research

Further Reading

New genetic editing tools could stop the spread of mosquito diseases

Scientists decipher the structure of protein found in parasites that cause neglected tropical diseases

Researchers receive $2.95 million grant to create improved diagnostics for worm infections

Researchers identify traditional Ghanaian medicines to eradicate neglected tropical diseases

Illustrations by Nigerian artist kickstart debate on neglected tropical disease

Study shows how common drug paralyzes the parasites that cause elephantiasis

Natural compund in cedar and grapefruit skin could help repel mosquitoes and ticks says CDC

UC Riverside scientist to shed light on worm infections that escape detection by immune systems

Scientists track down a potential target for new sleeping sickness drugs

Using genomics to identify promising novel treatment for lymphatic filariasis

Common gout medications can kill elephantiasis-causing parasites

WHO revise treatment guidelines of lymphatic filariasis due to CWRU-led study

Scientists develop urine diagnostic to detect parasitic worms that cause river blindness

Mosquito screening found to be useful for tracking recurrence of lymphatic filariasis

Fruit fly research leads to potential drug for debilitating diseases caused by parasitic worms

LSTM researchers find new way to reduce treatment for some parasitic diseases

Portable scanner can measure limb disfigurement easily in patients with elephantiasis

New research could lead to improved therapies for global parasitic disease

WHO marching toward extraordinary progress against neglected tropical diseases, report reveals

People with lymphatic filariasis more likely to acquire HIV infection, study shows

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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