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Projects in 
India
India
Project details
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ENLIST Randomised controlled trials of methotrexate in Erythema Nodosum Leprosum, 2016-2027
Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL) is a serious and very painful leprosy complication. It is often chronic and causes serious morbidity, not only affecting the skin but also bones, joints, eyes, nerves, testes, and kidneys. Effective treatment for ENL is available but expensive, has considerable side-effects, and is often inaccessible in many countries where leprosy is endemic. Methotrexate is cheap and has been used all over the world to treat conditions like psoriasis since the 1950s. This medicine is possibly an effective alternative to prednisolone (the most widely used corticosteroid treatment for ENL). The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will validate this by inviting patients with ENL in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines to take part in a study where some patients are prescribed methotrexate, and others prednisolone. The Turing Foundation is contributing €350,000 towards this research (€25.000 in 2024).
See also:
 Randomised controlled trials of methotrexate in Erythema Nodosum Leprosum |
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Use of handheld ultrasound for the early detection of leprosy, India en Nepal, 2024-2025
Early detection of leprosy is important to ensure treatment starts before the disease progresses and other people are infected. Leprosy symptoms are now often diagnosed "by hand and eye" registrations. However, ultrasound scans provide a quick and more accurate results and is cheap. Nonetheless, this requires large equipment which is not available everywhere. American Leprosy Missions investigates whether a recently developed portable ultrasound device can detect leprosy symptoms as accurately (and possibly detect changes after treatment has started). The Turing Foundation is contributing €57,974 to this project (of which €36,699 in 2024). The Leprosy Research Initiative contributes the same amount. Update januari 2025: Het project is in maart 2024 gestart. De ethische goedkeuring om het project in India uit te voeren, is inmiddels verkregen. Voor Nepal is de aanvraag voor ethische goedkeuring nog in behandeling bij de Nepal Health Research Council voor het Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital and Services Centre (LLHSC). Twee Philips Lumify-apparaten, samen met Apple iPads voor beeldopname en -analyse, zijn naar de projectlocaties gestuurd. Protocollen voor zenuw-echografie met behulp van zowel Philips Lumify als standalone Esaote-apparaten zijn ontwikkeld, waarbij gebruik is gemaakt van de ervaring van Nireekshana ACET in India met Lumify. Een trainingsprogramma staat gepland om personeel van LLHSC in Hyderabad op te leiden. In India is men gestart met het rekrutering van leprapatiënten.
See also:
 Use of handheld ultrasound for the early detection of leprosy, India en Nepal |
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Leprosy transmission and One Health. Holistic investigation for environmental presence of Mycobaterium leprae, India, 2024-2027
Leprosy infections are known to spread from person to person, but leprosy bacteria have also been found in certain animals, in water, and in the soil. Till date it is not clear whether contamination can also occur via these bacteria. LEPRA Society - Blue Peter Public Health and Research Center investigates the link between leprosy cases and their exposure to livestock, water and soil in four villages in India. If the presence of leprosy bacteria in open water, wastewater, soil and/or livestock is identified together with a link to the leprosy cases, a stronger strategy against leprosy and leprosy transmission can be developed. The Turing Foundation is contributing €100,466 to this project (of which €35,078 in 2024). The Leprosy Research Initiative contributes the same amount. Update januari 2025: Dit project is recentelijk gestart (per mei 2024) en heeft met succes goedkeuring gekregen van de ethische commissie voor menselijk onderzoek. Vooralsnog is men in afwachting van goedkeuring van de ethische commissie voor dieronderzoek en de toestemmingen van lokale autoriteiten en rioolbeheer m.b.t. het onderzoek en het verzamelen van monsters. De benodigde projectstaf is inmiddels aangesteld. De rekrutering van mensen voor de zelfhulpgroepen en community resource persons is gaande. Daarnaast worden voorbereidingen getroffen om goedkeuring te verkrijgen van het Screening Comité van het Ministerie van Volksgezondheid - dit is een verplichte stap voor internationaal gefinancierde projecten van NGO's in India. Dataverzamelingstools zijn ontwikkeld en worden vertaald in lokale talen. Daarnaast worden de studieprotocollen voor het verzamelen en transport van monsters voorbereid. See also: Leprosy Research Initiative: other projects  Holistic investigation for environmental presence of Mycobacterium leprae and its implications in leprosy transmission |
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Immunomodulation by Mycobacterium Indicus Pranii (MIP) in MB leprosy, 2020-2026
Leprosy patients can be effectively treated with multi-drug treatment (MDT), but they are still susceptible to being reinfected with leprosy. It has been demonstrated that the MIP (Mycobacterium indicus pranii) vaccine can teach the immune system to activate an immune response when it encounters M. leprae. This process is called 'immune modulation'. The National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (ICMR) in India uses advanced techniques to investigate the cells involved in an immune response and the differences between MIP-vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. The research aims to better understand the underlying mechanism of immune response and immune modulation, and use the knowledge gained to fight leprosy more effectively. The Turing Foundation is contributing € 94,000 towards this project.
See also:
 M. Leprae bacterie |
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Identification of leprosy associated immune signatures that aid as early signals for determination of type I and type II reactions in leprosy, Karigiri, India, 2016-2019
Early recognition and treatment of leprosy reactions helps prevent nerve damage and disfigurement. The Schieffelin Institute of Health (SIHR) is developing a laboratory test for early diagnosis of type I and type II leprosy reactions. Genetic material from blood and skin biopsies from leprosy patients are used to determine which genes differ in function between patients with and without leprosy reactions, and also which gene expression patterns possibly play a role in eliciting leprosy reactions in the skin, and the nervous system. These genes and associated proteins they encode are being used to develop the laboratory test. In addition, the level of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and antimicrobial peptides in the blood are estimated, and research is being conducted in order to see whether diagnostic conclusions can be drawn. The Turing Foundation is contributing €73,838 towards this research. See also: Leprastichting: other projects  Identification of leprosy associated immune signatures that aid as early signals for determination of type I and type II reactions in leprosy, Karigiri, India, 2016-2019 |
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Research on treatment of early neuropathy in leprosy 2014-2017
The TENLEP Research Consortium (Treatment of Early Neuropathy in Leprosy) is a large international association in which 14 researchers from renowned research institutes all over the world work together, combining their expertise in the field of leprosy-related inflammation of the nerves. TENLEP Trial is a large-scale research project focussing on nerve damage caused by leprosy. Its central research questions are: 2. What is the most effective treatment for patients who have a clinical nerve function impairments?
See also:
 Scanning Electron Microscopy of M. leprae |
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Education for 250 street children in Calcutta, India, 2007-2009
The Partnership Foundation is devoted to providing accommodation for street children in India in existing school buildings. The Loreto Sealdah Day School in Calcutta serves as a model for this strategy. It is a high-quality private school for 1,500 girls. A so-called 'Rainbow Home' is being created in this school. The home can accommodate 250 street children and provides them with food, education, medical care and loving support. Since 2007, the Turing Foundation covers the full educational costs of the project, amounting to € 56,000 in 2009.  Rainbow Home, Calcutta |
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