Taylor Capizola

Interested in more global health innovation news? Every week GHTC scours media reports worldwide to deliver essential global health R&D news and content to your inbox. Sign-up now to receive our weekly R&D News Roundup email.   In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. Researchers discovered a way to reprogram immune cells to attack tuberculosis (TB), potentially paving the way for new methods to combat the disease. Traditionally, TB vaccine research has focused on activating T cells, which has yielded overall mediocre results. In this case, researchers turned their attention to stem cells. They found that when they administered the current TB vaccine BCG to mice in a way that accessed the mice’s bone marrow, it was able to reprogram their stem cells to mobilize white blood cells capable of swallowing and killing TB-causing bacteria. Researchers were then able use this finding to dissect the genomic pathways involved in triggering this enhanced immune response. Though further research is needed on the potential of stem cells, researchers are hopeful this new method could lead to a more effective vaccine against the disease. A group of 180 scientists, malaria program leaders, and global policymakers recently updated the Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA) Refresh Collection, a research and development agenda that aims to accelerate progress toward total malaria elimination and eradication. Launched in 2011, the original agenda aimed to identify key knowledge gaps and define tools needed to combat malaria. The updated version addresses progress made and identifies the main challenges remaining across the areas of basic science and enabling technologies; combination interventions and modeling; diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and vector control; insecticide and drug resistance; characterizing the reservoir and measuring transmission; and health systems and policy research. The developers of the collection hope it will provide a framework for malaria-focused research funders, the World Health Organization, and impacted nations as they make programmatic decisions for malaria elimination and eradication. Scientists at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center believe the genomic sequence of the sooty mangabey monkey may provide useful knowledge in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Sooty mangabeys are natural hosts for the Simonian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)—a genetic relative of the HIV infection—yet the animals are able to maintain healthy levels of immune cells after infection, preventing any future progression to an AIDS-like disease. After sequencing the genome of the sooty mangabey and comparing it to the genomes of humans and other apes, scientists found two major differences in immune system proteins in the genome of the sooty mangabey, which may help scientists better understand why sooty mangabeys avoid AIDS-like illness despite SIV infection. Scientists hope that further research on these genomic differences will pave the way for improved long-term care of HIV-positive individuals, including pregnant women, and unlock new avenues for vaccine research.

Interested in more global health innovation news? Every week GHTC scours media reports worldwide to deliver essential global health R&D news and content to your inbox. Sign-up now to receive our weekly R&D News Roundup email. In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. Australian scientists solved a mystery about how malaria-causing parasites infect the human body, making a key discovery that could pave the way toward an effective vaccine for the disease. Researchers found that one of the malaria-causing parasites, P.vivax, infects humans by latching onto a protein that carries iron to young red blood cells. In response, researchers created antibodies designed to block this from taking place, thus halting the infection process. Future research on the antibodies’ effectiveness is needed, but researchers remain optimistic the discovery will lead to a potential vaccine candidate for P.vivax, though it could be another decade before clinical trials begin. In December, the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified the first infant-safe typhoid vaccine—Typbar TCV—for global use. The move comes after years of research, including a high-profile “challenge trial” involving volunteers swallowing the live virus, which found the vaccine was 87 percent effective in preventing infection. This approval by WHO allows donors, including United Nations agencies, to purchase Typbar TCV—which is now priced atUS$1.50 a dose and could drop to $1.00 if donors order more than 100 million doses—for use in low-resource countries. Global use of the vaccine should help curb the use of antibiotics for treatment, mitigating the increasing threat of antibiotic-resistant typhoid. Vitamin C may shorten tuberculosis (TB) treatment time by killing more bacteria, according to a new study in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine accidentally discovered that antioxidants, like vitamin C, stopped TB bacteria in test tubes from becoming “persisters”—or TB bacteria that become dormant during treatment and eventually cause reinfection. To test this discovery further, researchers conducted a mice study and found promising results: The mice given vitamin C in concurrence with TB drugs had ten times fewer bacteria in their lungs than the mice not given vitamin C. While human studies are necessary to confirm effectiveness, researchers agree that coupling TB drugs with vitamin C is a safe, accessible, and inexpensive choice.

Interested in more global health innovation news? Every week GHTC scours media reports worldwide to deliver essential global health R&D news and content to your inbox. Sign-up now to receive our weekly R&D News Roundup email. In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. A new, rapid diagnostic tool designed to detect Ebola in low-resource settings—EbolaCheck—is heading into its first field trial. Like other Ebola diagnostics, it works by detecting viral genetic material in blood, but it also has several characteristics that make it innovative and easy to deploy in the field: It is mobile; inexpensive, costing ten times less; rapid, taking as little as 70 minutes; needs minimal power to operate, and can be administered by staff with little training.The first field trial is scheduled to launch in rural areas of Brazil in January 2018, with an intent to study potential deployment challenges like temperature, humidity, and operating procedure. A group of Ugandan millennials designed a low-cost, reusable malaria diagnostic tool—Matibabu—capable of quickly detecting malaria without drawing blood. Matibabu beams a red laser on an individual’s finger, detecting changes in shape, color, and concentration of red blood cells, all of which are affected by the presence of the malaria-causing parasite. Matibabu can diagnose malaria in only two minutes (compared to 30 minutes or more for a blood test) with an 80 percent success rate, though the developers noted some patient skepticism due to the simplicity and uniqueness of the test. Matibabu has already generated strong interest among the global community: The designers won the 2013 United Nations Women’s Empowerment award and are shortlisted for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa prize for engineering innovation, with an award of £25,000. If the developers win, they plan to use the funds to begin clinical trials and work to increase the accuracy of the tool. Through gene therapy, researchers at UCLA engineered blood-forming stem cells in animals to produce chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) molecules that create T-cells capable of recognizing and destroying HIV-infected cells. These engineered cells persisted in destroying infected cells for more than two years after the initial edit, offering hope as a method to create long-term HIV immunity. While these findings are preliminary and the sample size is small, they are the first to show that this method of gene editing works in creating targeted immune cells that can mature and become functional throughout the body. This method of gene editing, coupled with other effective treatments like antiretroviral therapy, may pave the way for safe and lifelong HIV immunity.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. A single, high-dose cholera vaccine—Vaxchora—could be an effective tool in controlling outbreaks more rapidly, according to new research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The current cholera vaccine consists of two doses of the inactivated virus administered over two weeks, but researchers believe they have developed a stronger, single dose vaccine approach that will be more effective in combatting outbreaks because it can be deployed more rapidly and easily. Researchers plan to further study how this vaccine may help curb outbreaks early before they become widespread and its potential use in preemptive vaccination. They also plan to study the vaccine’s effectiveness in children under the age of five—one of the most burdened demographics of cholera. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine discovered a way to prohibit malaria-causing parasites from shielding themselves against treatment in mice, which could open new avenues for drug development. While the most common malaria medicines are effective at reducing the level of parasites in the blood, some of these parasites enter a latent stage during treatment, allowing them to survive through the treatment and eventually reinfect the individual after he or she has ceased taking medication. This process makes treating malaria more challenging and dangerous, particularly among individuals who do not have consistent access to therapies. Researchers discovered the molecular mechanism that leads to these parasites entering the latent stage and how to inhibit it, which they hope will lead to medicines that prevent treatment failure and subsequent reinfection. Researchers may have developed a urine test to detect tuberculosis (TB) in patients, according to a paper published in Science Translational Medicine. Current TB diagnostics include skin and culture tests that require a high level of expertise to carry out correctly. A new method, like a rapid urine test, will allow lower skilled health workers in TB-endemic areas to carry out quick and effective TB diagnostic tests. A study of 42 individuals in Peru found the test had greater than 95 percent sensitivity—or the ability to correctly identify those with the disease. Furthermore, researchers reported this test can be used to diagnose TB at any stage and among HIV-negative populations—populations who usually have more mild concentrations of the bacteria in the body.  

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. The release of antibiotics into the environment is a significant environmental threat, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme report. The presence of antibiotics have been found in soil deposits, lake and river sediment, and wastewater facilities around the world, suggesting industrial, human, and pharmaceutical disposal leads to traceable amounts of antibiotic compounds in the environment. This issue alarms experts because even minimal traces of antibiotics may lead to the continued evolution of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. While more research is needed on the consequences of antibiotics in the environment, experts suggest various strategies to help mitigate the problem including deploying improved methods to treat wastewater, treating animal waste before using it as fertilizer, and improving antimicrobial stewardship. An Army-developed Zika vaccine candidate (ZPIV) performed well across three Phase 1 clinical trials, according to new findings published in The Lancet. The three studies were designed to elicit information on background immunity, vaccine dosage, and vaccine schedule in adult populations. A total of 67 participants received two injections four weeks apart, and researchers found more than 90 percent of participants who received the ZPIV vaccine had an immune response to the virus. The Army developed the vaccine candidate in response to the 2015 outbreak, noting the need for a Zika vaccine not only to advance global health, but also to protect US service members and their families. Countries are restricting use of the world’s only dengue vaccine—Dengvaxia— following an announcement by developer Sanofi Pasteur raising safety concerns. The company discovered, from data analysis, that the vaccine could raise the risk of a deadly form of dengue for people who had not been exposed to the virus prior to vaccination. In response, the Philippines ceased an ongoing, mass immunization campaign, and Brazil tightened restrictions on the vaccine. While Sanofi stressed there were no reported deaths related to the dengue vaccine, they believe more severe cases of dengue may occur if an immunized individual, who was not previously infected before receiving the vaccine, is then subsequently infected with dengue. This rare complication leaves children at a higher risk of contracting the severe form of dengue, as they are less likely to have been exposed to infection before receiving the vaccine. Dengue sickens hundreds of millions of people and kills more than 20,000 every year, underscoring the need for a safe, effective, vaccine.

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week A tech nonprofit, WeRobotics, is seeking to deploy drones to deliver hundreds of thousands of sterile mosquitoes into Zika hotspots across Latin America to assist with mosquito population control. Existing research suggests releasing sterile mosquitoes into the wild may eventually reduce populations by as much as 90 percent, though actual mosquito introduction has proven challenging. To solve this, WeRobotics developed small, temperature-controlled drones designed to deploy mosquitoes in rural and hard-to-reach locations, ensuring all affected areas receive the sterile mosquitoes. The drone’s cool temperature leaves the mosquitoes in a deep sleep state, protecting them during the journey, and the drone then releases the mosquitoes from a controlled height to ensure they do not die from impact. WeRobotics plans to deploy these drones soon and will educate local communities about the project. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that about 11 percent of all medicines circulating in low- and middle- income countries are substandard or counterfeit. WHO estimates between 72,000—169,000 children may die from pneumonia and 116,000 may die from malaria every year after receiving falsified or substandard products, suggesting this is a widespread and alarming problem in the world’s poorest countries. Experts believe majority of these cases remain unreported, compounding existing issues with counterfeit or substandard medicine monitoring across affected countries. This is the first time WHO has assessed in-depth the global scope of the problem. In 2013, the agency set up a voluntary global monitoring system for substandard and fake drugs, which has helped bring to light the extent of the issue. An estimated 50 million doses of antibiotics are prescribed for typhoid every year, with overuse or misuse of these drugs contributing to the global rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the city of Karachi, Pakistan—a typhoid-endemic country—antibiotic resistance is rising by 30 percent per year, and 100 percent of typhoid cases are expected to be multi-drug resistant by 2020. A new typhoid vaccine may be the solution to this growing problem. The typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) is more effective in preventing typhoid than its predecessor and may protect individuals for up to five years—longer than the previous vaccine. Most importantly, TCV may be given to children under the age of two, expanding the level of coverage to infants who are in critical need of a vaccine. With rising levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, having an effective and inclusive typhoid vaccine may save thousands of lives.