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TI Pharma researcher wins $100,000 grant for malaria research
Shahid Khan, one of the researchers on TI Pharma’s Malaria project, has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Gates Foundation for exploratory research on malaria. His project was selected from almost 3,000 proposals. In total 262 researchers representing 30 countries have been awarded grants.
Khan’s winning project is entitled: ‘Preventing Malaria in Both Host and Vector’. With his project Khan aims to use genetically attenuated parasites as vehicles to not only protect the host but also kill the parasite in the mosquito.
The grant covers research costs for 1 year, up to $100,000, which Khan’s team (part of the Leiden Malaria Research Group (LUMC); headed by Chris Janse) can use for exploratory research. Shahid Khan explains: "Current malaria treatments aim to protect the individual or limit disease transmission. If our team is successful, we’d like to design a vaccine that does both."
Khan continues: "We could not have won this grant if we weren’t part of TI Pharma. Partnering in one of their consortia enabled us to open new paths to explore new ideas and come up with innovative health solutions. This new project is an extension of what we do within the TI Pharma consortium. It rather looks to adapt attenuated malaria sporozoites as vehicles to carry other antigens. Specifically, in the case, in which antigens are expressed in parasites inside the mosquito"
TI Pharma’s malaria consortium, existing of Leiden University Medical Centre, Sanaria and Radboud University Nijmegen aims to develop an attenuated whole organism vaccine against malaria. This is a very important project based on the WHO Priority Medicines Program, in which malaria is specifically prioritized. For more information, please visit www.tipharma.com.
The Grand Challenges Explorations of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a five-year, $100 million initiative to encourage bold an unconventional research on global health solutions. The Grand Challenges Explorations initiative focuses on research areas where creative, unorthodox thinking is most urgently needed. For more information, please visit www.grandchallenges.org.