ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï

Medicines for Neglected Tropical Diseases - Reversing the Equation

By Tim Geary (ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Institute of Parasitology)

Infections of humans by parasitic nematodes – roundworms – used to be essentially global in incidence. Today, more than a billion people still serve as hosts to these worms, almost all of them living in developing nations. These Neglected Tropical Diseases cause significant morbidity, contributing to the cycle of poverty which constrains development in economically challenged regions of the world. Medicines to treat these infections have generally been adopted from veterinary use (for livestock and companion animals) and have not been optimized for humans. Several are donated by Western pharmaceutical companies for use in human medicine in Africa and elsewhere. While undeniably admirable, an alternative approach is to foster innovation systems that enable scientists living in areas most affected by these diseases to assume leadership roles in the search for new and better medicines to treat them.

This lecture will provide an introduction to parasitic diseases of poverty and describe a novel drug discovery process that has been implemented in South Africa and Botswana, focused on identifying high-value antiparasitic drug candidates in collections of chemicals purified from African botanical and microbial sources. Changing the way in which needed drugs are provided to regions of poverty requires the strengthening of scientific capacity as well as the development of new ways of thinking about intellectual property and the requirement for local leadership. The integration of multiple levels of development is a significant challenge with great rewards.

PHOTO: Interview with Tim Geary: Let's look for the next generation cures ... and let's do it in Africa where these problems are of significant local interest and importance. / Source: ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Reporter, Jan. 26, 2011. Photo: Owen Egan.

Initiated in 2003 with the express purpose of fostering communication between scientists in different disciplines as well as between scientists and the public, Cutting Edge Lectures in Science are made possible through the generous support of Faculty of Medical Sciences (Professor Marianna Newkirk, Associate Dean Research), Faculty of Arts (Professor Christopher Manfredi, Dean), Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Professor Chandra Madramootoo, Dean), Faculty of Science (Professor Martin Grant, Dean) and the Centre for Applied Mathematics in Bioscience and Medicine (CAMBAM). For more information, please call 514-398-4094.