Use of sandflies to probe Leishmania development and persistence

Overview

The leishmaniases are neglected tropical diseases that threaten public health in 88 countries around the globe. York is at the forefront of both fundamental and translational research on the leishmaniases, with well-advanced projects focusing on new drugs and vaccines for these chronic diseases. The funding was intended to fill the remaining gap in York's programme of research into these neglected tropical diseases. It was to be used to establish and maintain colonies of the sandfly vector in York so as to study parasite development and transmission to man, both essential processes in the spread of disease which, if blocked, would prevent leishmaniasis.

Within the scope of this milestone-driven project a colony of Lutzomyia longipalpis sandflies has now been successfully established at the nearby laboratories of the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) and an existing biological containment laboratory within the University's Biological Services Facility has been refitted to allow safe experimental studies on parasite development in sandflies and transmission to animals. There is therefore now the capacity to conduct exciting world-leading research that spans immunology, molecular parasitology and entomology.