SRI International researchers to disclose preliminary results of NTD detecting diagnostic at 239th ACS

SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, will present preliminary results of a diagnostic to detect neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) at the 239th National Meeting & Exhibition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) being held on March 21-25 in San Francisco.

NTDs are a group of infections that most commonly affect extremely poor people living in remote rural areas, urban slums, and places of political conflict.  They can adversely affect life expectancy, child development, pregnancy, quality of life, and worker productivity, and are a major reason many cannot escape extreme poverty.

At the ACS meeting, SRI researchers will disclose preliminary results involving the use of a small molecule sensor dye that can detect a metabolite specific to the parasites that cause three NTDs: Chagas, Leishmaniasis, and African Sleeping Sickness. This detectable metabolite is critical for the parasites' survival and is not found in humans.

"Early detection would provide important benefits to patients suffering from NTDs, particularly since many of the drugs used to treat late-stage infections are highly toxic with potentially fatal side effects," said Mary Tanga, Ph.D., senior director of medicinal chemistry in SRI's Biosciences Division. "We are working to develop a low-cost, simple tool that can facilitate detection at a stage when less toxic treatments can be used."

SOURCE SRI International