21 July 2004
New discovery on deadly disease
Researchers at the University of Dundee with colleagues at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
have discovered how the sand-fly spreads one of the world's most serous tropical diseases -
Leishmaniasis.
With reported British deaths due to the sand-fly bite, the researchers have worked out how the Leishmania
parasite has manipulated the sand-fly as the perfect transmission system for itself.
This paper, to be published in Nature tomorrow (Thursday 22 July) by Matt Rogers and Paul Bates from the
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Mike Ferguson and Andrei Nikolaev from the University of Dundee
details how the tiny sand-fly can transmit one of the World's most serious diseases (Leishmaniasis -
discovered by a Scotsman Sir William Leishman) that affects millions throughout the tropics and
sub-tropics and particularly in India, African and South and Central America.
The work shows that the Leishmania parasite, a microscopic protozoan cell produces a gel like substance
that is co-injected with the parasite when the sand-fly bites its victim. This gel greatly enhances the
infectivity of the parasite.
The contributions of Andrei Nikolaev and Mike Ferguson, at The University of Dundee, revolve around the
chemical analysis and the chemical synthesis of this gel material (a complex phosphoglycan) which allowed
Rogers and Bates to test their hypothesis with completely defined material.
Professor Mike Ferguson says: "This is an excellent example of collaborative research - bringing together
biology and chemistry to unravel key questions, in this case the mechanism of disease transmission in
Leishmaniaisis."
He continues: "Research at the interface between traditional scientific disciplines is the future of
scientific discovery. In Dundee, we are constructing a new £17.5 million building called The Centre for
Interdisciplinary Research (CIR) due to open July 2005 - to underpin exactly this kind of
cross-disciplinary research. Our aim to translate basic science into new and better medicines for
diabetes and cancer and to help the less-fortunate in developing countries combat terrible tropical
diseases like Leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness and malaria."
The CIR facility will enable the University of Dundee to expand our existing research teams in order to
advance basic laboratory science (commonly undertaken by academic institutions) to the next stage - the
discovery of potential drug targets for serious tropical and parasitic disease in partnership with
organisations such as the World Health Organisation. Information on the fundraising campaign is available
from /externalrelations/funds/cir.htm
Contact Professor Mike Ferguson 01382 344219
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk | 
