CGD Research Trust is delighted to announce the funding of three important projects for 2006 in the USA and in Europe. This was made possible through the proceeds of the Jeans for Genes campaign in 2005.
Development of a vaccine against fungal infections
Dr Brahm Segal
Departments of Medicine and Immunology Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo,
New York. £97, 248 over two years.
Infection caused by the fungi Aspergillus is a serious cause of illness and mortality in individuals with Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) and in many other diseases affecting the immune system. The project will help work out key steps in the development of a vaccine against fight fungal infections caused by Aspergillus. Such a vaccine would give vulnerable individuals long-lasting protection and would have a significant impact on the quality of life and survival of many numbers of people.
In 2004 we introduced a one-year grant award scheme to fund work that is fundamental to the understanding and treatment of CGD. These ‘kick-start’ grants provide seed funds up to a value of £40,000 and we hope that the results from these grants will help researchers attract funding from other organisations so that our initial investment will have long-term benefit for the CGD community. This year we are funding two grants under this scheme.
How does Gamma-Interferon work to improve resistance to infection in CGD?
Professor Weiss
Department of Medicine, University of Iowa. £34,000 over one year.
The major clinical problem in CGD is increased susceptibility to certain bacterial infections due to reduced anti-microbial activity of specialized white blood cells. Many CGD patients in the USA receive gamma-interferon on a continual basis and this significantly reduces the frequency of serious bacterial infections. However, how this treatment actually works is not completely understood. This project will help find out more about the anti-microbial pathways affected by gamma interferon so that new and better treatments can be developed to fight infections caused by the rise of multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria. This work will add considerably to our understanding of how gamma interferon works and help increase the armoury of drugs to fight infections in immuno-compromised patients.
Protein transfer as a new therapeutic approach in X-Linked CGD
Professor Morel
Lab Enzymologie, Grenoble, France. £39,000 over one year.
The aim of this project is to provide an alternative therapeutic treatment for CGD by delivery of therapeutic proteins. They will replace the protein that is missing in CGD, rather than the gene using delivery agents called proteoliposomes. It is hoped this work will work out how to deliver the gp91 phox protein for the treatment of X-linked CGD.
IMPORTANT NOTE :
The information contained on this website is intended only as a guideline, not as a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your doctor if you or your child has any CGD symptoms or concerns.
© 2001-2005 The Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) Research Trust
Registered Charity No. 1003425 email:cgd@cgdrt.co.uk
The CGD Research Trust is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), the Genetic Interest Group (GiG) and an associate member of the International Patient Organisation of Primary Immunodeficiencies (IPOPI)
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