Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy

Leprosy Mailing List – January 12^th, 2012

Ref.:    Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy

From:  P Brennan, Colorado, U.S.A.  

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Dear Salvatore,

I would be very grateful if you would announce the 2012 Request for Proposals from the Heiser Program (attached).  Full details and access to application forms are on The New York Community Trust  website (nycommunitytrust.org); it is in the Grant making section under Requests for Proposals, Heiser.  The deadline for applications is March 20, 2012. The major difference in 2012 is that the Heiser Program is funding only leprosy research and will not support postdoctoral fellowships in tuberculosis research.

Thank you,

Patrick Brennan on behalf of: 

Len McNally, Director,

The Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy, The New York Community Trust,

909 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022, U.S.A.  

Tel: (212) 686-0010, ext. 556; FAX: (212) 532-8528; e-mail: lm(at)nyct-cfi.org

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) calls for proposals to evaluate Leprosy Eradication Programme

Leprosy Mailing List – November 8th, 2011 

Ref.:   Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) calls for proposals to evaluate Leprosy Eradication Programme

From: S. R. Narahari, Kasaragod, Kerala, India

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Dear Dr Noto,

Can you please circulate the enclosed “ICMR Proposal”?  I think many leprosy mailing list readers might be interested.

ICMR calls for proposals to evaluate Leprosy Eradication Programme

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has called for research proposals to evaluate the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP).  The deadline for scientists and doctors to submit proposals is December 15. 

India achieved leprosy elimination as a public health problem in December 2005, however there are pockets of endemicity where the number of new case detection is still high and the community is at higher risk of being infected with M. leprae.  Over 200 districts of India, in parts of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu recorded more numbers last year.

Therefore, to address these issues, Secretary, DHR and DG, ICMR has taken steps to promote research by funding projects on the Priority Areas of research in leprosy given below:-

Health Systems Research & Operational Research on integration issues.
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Studies evaluating current IEC strategies in increasing community awareness.

Studies addressing psychosocial issues for formulation of newer approaches to reduce the stigma, for encouraging early detection and completion of MDT.

Studies for encouraging early detection (through self-reporting) and completion of MDT.

Development of indicators for stigma at community level and evaluation of participation scale for wider use.
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Nerve Damage and Care of the Disabled at the Community level and impact of field interventions.

Epidemiological studies
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Estimating trends/prevalence/incidence in India with special emphasis on biological reasons and genetics.
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Behavioural and social factors influencing the epidemiology of disease.
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Transmission dynamics of leprosy to identify sources/genotypes, its presence in soil and water and establish chain of transmission in endemic pockets.
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Study addressing issues related to changing profile of disease.
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Precise epidemiological data on pooled grade-2 disabilities in rural communities.
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Leprosy in Children / dynamics of childhood leprosy

Clinical – Research
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Clinical - Laboratory studies on complications of leprosy and its management.
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Evaluating effect of newer anti-leprosy drugs/molecules.
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Studies addressing leprosy relapse and reactions.
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Detection of early bacteriologically positive Multibacillary Bacillary leprosy and its early management.
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Use of immunomodulators in relation to leprosy and tuberculosis in children.
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Use of chemoprophylaxis in household contacts.

Operational Research.
Effect of inclusion of leprosy in a community based integrated rehabilitation disability care programme.
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Research on disability prevention and identification of predictors of early nerve damage in leprosy.
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Varying distribution pattern of patients with nerve damage, acute, chronic or "silent".
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Identification of pre-clinical disease markers like nerve conduction tests etc.

Basic Research
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Studies using genomics, proteomics and other approaches to understand the host-parasite interaction and pathogenesis of the disease.

Basic Immunology
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Translational research including newer technology such for detection of M. leprae from environment.
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Tools to identify leprosy susceptibility

Drug resistance studies
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Resistance to anti-leprosy drugs.
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Studies on use of second line newer drugs for resistant and relapse cases.

Surgical aspects
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Trials on immediate post-operative active mobilization of hand following deformity correction and to investigate if the benefits of tendon transfers can be improved with early mobilization.
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Effects of early mobilization to reduce dependence on therapist to attain a satisfactory result.
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Investigation of economic and social impact of this technique in varied patient groups.
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Trials regarding the safety of immediate active mobilization protocol (IAMP) to other tendon transfers.
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Assessment of economic impact of earlier return to work by RCS patients and also the cost of care.
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Understanding the neurobiology of tendon transfer rehabilitation.
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Standard of ulcer care in leprosy

Concept proposals (limited to 5 pages) are invited from scientists of various recognized Research Institutions, Universities, Medical Colleges etc. in India. The concept proposals should include the following details.

1) Title of the concept
2) Name, address, telephone number including the mobile no. and e-mail ID of PI & Co-PI
3) Participating Institutions
4) Need for the study
5) Type of study: Hospital based (clinical), Field based (epidemiological), Lab. Based (Basic)
6) Major objectives and milestones
7) Research focus, short term goals, long term goals and scientific strategies to achieve this
8) Research Plan: Including sample size statistically calculated, place and methods of collection of samples, detailed methodology, etc.
9) Expected deliverables/Outcomes
10) Relevance/Applicability in the national interest.
11) The main strength(s) which merit(s) this support should be described in less than 200 words.
12) A brief biodata of PI and Co-PI (along with proof of expertise in form of publications).

After review the investigators of the selected proposals would be invited to submit the full proposals.  The concept proposal (one electronic copy and 15 hard copies) is to be sent on or before December 15th 2011.  The project proposals may be sent to, `
Dr. Manjula Singh,
Scientist `C',
Division of ECD,
ICMR, V. Ramalingaswami Bhawan, New Delhi 110-029


Best regards,

Dr. S. R. Narahari MD; DVD (dermatology)
Director
Institute of Applied Dermatology
6/1665, Nayaks Road, Kasaragod, Kerala, India
Phone: +91-4994-223687 & 230116; Res +914994223625
www.iad.org.in

Strain-typing of M. leprae

Leprosy Mailing List – May 31^st, 2011

Ref.:   Strain-typing of M. leprae

From: D M Scollard, T P Gillis, J L Krahenbuhl.  Baton Rouge, LA, USA

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Dear Salvatore,

We would like to thank Dr. Warren (LML May 16^th, 2011) for her interest in the strain-typing of M. leprae that was used in the study published about 3 weeks ago in the New England Journal of Medicine (abstract attached).  This has subsequently been reported in many newspapers around the world and, as she noted, different journalists had somewhat different ideas about this.  If you only read the news accounts it could be confusing. 

As Dr. Warren indicated, for many years it was not possible to identify different strains of M. leprae.  However, as a result of the sequencing of the entire genome ofM. leprae it has become possible, in the last 10 years or so, to identify a small number of differences in the genetic sequences of bacilli isolated from patients in different parts of the world.  This paper marks a major advance in this effort, combining two different molecular techniques to identify small differences in M. leprae DNA.  The result is that we now can, in fact, identify different strains of this organism. 

The investigators used these techniques to examine M. leprae DNA from wild-infected armadillos in the US and compared this with M. leprae DNA from human biopsies.  We found that almost all of the infected armadillos had the same strain ofM. leprae, and a majority of the US patients who had no foreign travel had the same ‘armadillo’ strain.  This indicates that humans and armadillos are sharing this infection, although the exact means of transmission is still unclear.  US patients with a history of foreign travel often had strains of M. leprae associated with other regions of the world. 

There are still many limitations to these strain-typing techniques, but it is clear that we are now at the beginning of an era in which we can use methods like this to ‘track’ different sources of infection with M. leprae, and this is a major advance for epidemiological studies of this disease.  However, determining “strains” by this technique in no way implies a functional difference in the groupings that would result in an altered pathogenic potential, i.e., all strains cause the same range of clinical types of leprosy. 

David M. Scollard, M.D., Ph.D.

Thomas P Gillis, PhD.

James L. Krahenbuhl, Ph.D.

National Hansen's Disease Programs

1770 Physicians Park Dr

Baton Rouge, LA 70816

http://www.hrsa.gov/hansens

Mycobacterium leprae

Leprosy Mailing List – May 16^th, 2011 

Ref.:   Mycobacterium leprae

From: Grace Warren, Sydney, Australia

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Dear Salvatore,

I have seen a number of newspaper articles recently regarding the leprosy bacillus.  It is stated that a new strain of M. leprae has been discovered in the armadillo. As you well know for years we were taught that there was only one strain of M. leprae.  So I write to you to ask that someone give us a summary of the true facts.  Articles in papers and on the web do not always give the practical truth.

One paper says it cannot be passed on to humans.  Another says it can and one article says that in “America some people have one strain and some the other” implying that the armadillo strain can affect humans.  Though another article states it does not.  One article says the two strains are in South America and imply that the armadillo strain is transmitted to humans in S America. 

 I would love to have a bit more true information.  Thank you very much.

Grace Warren

Previously adviser in Leprosy and reconstructive surgery for The Leprosy Mission in Asia (1975-1995)