Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute receives grant for global health and development research project

The Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute of the New York Blood Center announced today that it is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Sara Lustigman , Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology will pursue an innovative global health and development research project, titled Innovative 3-D in vitro culturing system for filarial worms. These worms are needed to screen drugs to help eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness) in Africa.

Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) funds individuals worldwide to explore ideas that can break the mold in how we solve persistent global health and development challenges.  Dr. Lustigman's project is one of more than 50 Grand Challenges Explorations Round 10 grants announced today by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

To receive funding, Dr. Lustigman and other Grand Challenges Explorations Round 10 winners demonstrated in a two-page online application a bold idea in one of four critical global heath and development topic areas that included agriculture development, neglected tropical diseases and communications. Applications for the next Round will be accepted starting September 2013. 

Dr. Lustigman, in collaboration with Miguel Suderman of Cell Systems 3-D, LLC, and Dr. Judy Sakanari of the Center for Discovery in Parasitic Diseases, Univ. of Calif., San Francisco will develop 3-Dimensional in vitro culturing systems to support the development of Onchocerca volvulus and Brugia malayi infective larvae to the adult stages. This will provide greater numbers of adult worms for high throughput screening for macrofilaricidal (that kill adult worms) drugs, which are needed to support the elimination of onchocerciasis in Africa.

SOURCE New York Blood Center