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Rationale
The Working Group on Applied
Genomics to Drugs and Diagnostics was established by the Committee
on Pathogenesis and Applied Genomics, a component of the
Steering Committee on Basic and Strategic Research (STR), to
promote application of genomic approaches to identify and develop:
drug targets in African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease,
leishmaniasis, malaria, tuberculosis; diagnostics targets in
African trypanosomiasis; diagnostic indicators of
early infection in leprosy; and targets for insecticides in
relevant vectors.
In the past, TDR supported
international effort through genome networks to determine the
genome sequences of parasites (causing African trypanosomiasis, Chagas
disease, leishmaniasis, falciparum malaria) and their vectors
(e.g. Anopheles gambiae). Additionally, the genome
sequences of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium
leprae, the causative agents of tuberculosis and leprosy
respectively, have been obtained. The availability of the genome
sequence of these organisms has generated a large amount of
information available via public domain databases. TDR's
Pathogenesis and Applied Genomics Committee, through the Working
Group on Applied Genomics to Drugs and Diagnostics, is fostering
novel approaches to analyse the genomes of the target organisms
responsible for these diseases. This provides an unprecedented
opportunity to use whole genome based methodologies, computational
biology, and functional genomics to identify new drug/insecticide
targets and diagnostic reagents.
The Working Group has a strong
commitment to support research capability strengthening within
projects with the aim of forging productive collaborations between
endemic countries and resourceful laboratories with potential to
promote application of cutting-edge technology in the development
and exploitation of new drug/insecticide targets and diagnostic
reagents for the control of these diseases.
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