Month: June 2021

On June 22, 2021, the Tropical Medicine Graduate Program, Khon Kaen University held their 3^rd Tropical Medicine Webinar on the topic “Helminth vaccines: from pre-clinical concepts to human efficacy trials” expert presenter Professor Alex Loukas, Distinguished Professor Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine, Centre for Molecular Therapeutics James Cook University, Cairns, Australia.

The welcome speech was given by Assistant Professor Sutas Suttiprapa, Director of the Tropical Medicine Graduate Program, KKU-MD, who welcomed the opportunity to learn and share insights about “Helminth vaccines: from pre-clinical concepts to human efficacy trials.”

The presentation explained the Life cycle of Necator americanus, or hookworm. Living in the small intestine, they   attach to the lining of the intestinal wall and suck blood and vitreous from the intestines. The female worm can lay 6000-20000 eggs per day, which are expelled with feces. With appropriate temperature and humidity, the larvae emerge from the egg in 1-2 days, and as first stage larvae, rhabditiform larvae, grow in soil or feces. They then molt into second stage embryo, in 5-10 days, and develop into the third filariform embryo in 5-10 days. These can penetrate   human skin and migrate into the veins, the heart, the lungs, from the lungs, into the esophagus, then the stomach and into small intestines.  Most older hookworms are evicted in one to two years but some can live for many years.

As a possible solution to hookworm infection a vaccine is in testing to increase the number of white blood cells Eosinophilia, which are responsible for preventing helminth infections, allergies, and tissue inflammation. Approximately 450 Eosinophil cells are normally found in the blood. Following vaccination, significant reductions in hamster fluke load has been found.

In conclusions TSPs appear to be good vaccine antigens and gene silencing (RNAi) and preliminary gene knock-out (CRISPR-Cas9) studies suggest that TSPs are essential-lethal phenotypes.

Future helminth vaccine directions

-Assess impact of vaccination on CCA in hamster model

-Explore other oral delivery methods that can be translated for human use (liposomes, chitosan nanoparticles)

-Probe proteome array with sera from protected mammalian hosts (eg. irradiated metacercariae)

-Test multivalent constructs or chimeric antigens

Written by Miss Taksaporn Vongsa-Nga

Mister Adisorn Tadsakorn

Edit by Professor John F Smith

On April 21, 2021, the third online Joint-Institute Forum (JIF) on the topic of Tissue Engineering in Clinical Research was held in a collaboration between the Departments of Biochemistry, Surgery, and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University (MDKKU) ,the Thai National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and Department of Pharmacology, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, UK.

The welcome speech “Learning and sharing insight of Tissue Engineering in Clinical Research” was given by Dr. Jutarop Phetcharaburanin- Assistant to the Dean for Research and International Relations Affairs, MDKKU.

Following the opening ceremony, there was a talk, Professor James Phillips, Department of Pharmacology, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, UK presented on ‘Nervous system tissue engineering and regenerative medicine’ ,‘Multi-Omics of Weight-Loss Surgery’ ,and “CNS tissue engineering and regenerative medicine”, followed by,

Dr. Papon Muangsanit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), a member of National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), on ‘Aligned endothelial cell and Schwann cell structures in 3D hydrogel for peripheral nerve tissue engineering’,

Dr. Sinobol Chusilp, Department of Surgery, on ‘Intratumoral Microbiome in Cholangiocarcinoma’,

Dr. Kanokrat Thaiwatcharamas, Department of Surgery, on ‘Intestinal organoid as an ex vivo model to study necrotizing entero-colitis in infants’, and, finally by

Dr. Poramate Klanrit, Department of Biochemistry, on ‘Modeling of Cholangiocarcinoma through three-dimensional (3D) cell culture’.

The webinar spurred knowledge exchange to improve the quality of research and practice in the future.

Written by Miss Taksaporn Vongsa-Nga

The Tropical Medicine Graduate Program and the Tropical Diseases Research Center (TDRC), Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University jointly organized a Special Webinar on “A One Health Approach to End Neglected Tropical Diseases” by Professor Darren Gray, Head of the Department of Global Health, Australian National University, Acton, Australia, on May 28, 2021.

It highlighted the problem of neglected tropical diseases that affect populations living in poverty and in close contact with disease vectors, such as, animals/livestock, and unclean water sources and poor sanitation.  These provide breeding grounds for pathogens such as Guinea parasites, blood flukes, etc.  Drug treatment are available but the infections can come back again if risky behavior continues.   The One Health approach is required to overcome the impact of tropical diseases. Integrated interventions for disease control are needed to -advance the WHO 2030 roadmap for the control and elimination of NTDs. New holistic evidence-based approaches should combine human, animal, and environmental health practices and disciplines to lead to overall good health. “One Health” approaches are key to overcoming the impact of tropical disease and achieving elimination targets.  A successful Chinese example of a multi-component integrated (One Health) approach is in schistosomiasis control and is now a high priority for the Chinese Government for addressing HIV/AIDs and TB.

Written by Miss Taksaporn Vongsa-Nga

Mister Adisorn Tadsakorn

Edited by  Miss Kanokphorn Hinthao

Professor John Smith