World Hepatitis Day 2023 Events Conferences • Workshops 2022 - 2023
NOGUCHIMEDRES
Project News
| Title | Clinical and immunopathological consequences of chronic HBV and Plasmodium falciparum co-infections. |
|---|---|
| Acronym | HEPMAL |
| Duration | 48 months |
| EDTCP Grant ID | TMA2018SF-2456 |
| Sponsor Name & Address | The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDTCP), PO Box 93015, 2509 AA The Hague, The Netherlands. |
| Coordinating Institution | University of Ghana, Legon, Accra. |
| NMIMR STC number & approval date | 2(2) 2019-20 (Date: 13th December 2019) |
| NMIMR IRB approval number | 046/19-20 (8th January 2020) Renewed 6th November 2020 and 3rd November 2021 |
| KBTH STC approval number | KBTH-STC 000024/2020 (Date: 9th April 2020) |
| KBTH IRB approval number | KBTH-IRB 00024/2020 (Date: 27th May 2020) Renewed 9th June 2021 and 30th April 2022 |
Malaria and viral hepatitis due to Hepatitis B virus (HBV) are two very common infectious diseases prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and together account for significant morbidity and mortality.
In Ghana, half a million more cases of malaria were recorded in 2019, representing an 8% increase over the previous year (WMR 2019). Globally, Ghana and 10 other countries account for 70% of the global estimated case burden, as well as 71% of estimated deaths (WMR 2019)
Similarly, 2015 figures indicate that 257 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis B infection, with some 887 000 deaths attributed to the disease (mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma) in the same year.
The common organ targeted by both Plasmodium and HBV is the liver. Sporozoites from an infectious mosquito bite first invade, develop and multiply in liver cells, while HBV also targets the liver and causes a prolonged infection that may result in liver cancer or cirrhosis.
Inevitably, there are instances where the causative organisms of these diseases co-infect individuals in the general population. Differences in immune responses to these pathogens means that chronic HBV infections can affect liver stage malaria-specific T cell responses, while Plasmodium infection could also contribute to liver pathology in chronic HBV-infected subjects. The effect of these interactions are especially important in the future context of administering an approved malaria vaccine in HBV-endemic populations of sub-Saharan Africa, as routine administration of vaccines to chronic HBV-infected persons may not yield the expected immunization outcomes.
The overall goal of the proposed study is therefore to investigate and define the by-stander effects of an on-going chronic HBV infection on immune responses to Plasmodium liver stage infection. We will also assess whether a Plasmodium liver stage infection affects chronic HBV infection outcome in co-infected individuals.
We hope to establish baseline data on the immunological and clinical outcomes of Plasmodium/chronic HBV co-infections, leading to improved HBV monitoring, management and education.
Department of Immunology, NMIMR, UG, Legon.
Dr Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi is the Principal Investigator for the HEPMAL project. After his PhD at Leiden University in the Netherlands he has, over the years, conducted both field and laboratory based research and authored/co-authored a significant number of peer-reviewed publications in his subject area. Dr Kusi has a record of training students at the masters, PhD and post-doctoral levels, and the HEPMAL project offers an opportunity to continue this with the students and post-doctoral candidate enrolled on the project.
Department of Virology, NMIMR, UG, Legon.
Dr. Kofi Bonney is a virologist with over fifteen years involvement in the conduct of biomedical research and laboratory diagnosis of viral pathogens of public health importance. He had a sandwich PhD program with the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg, Germany and the Department of Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow with the Virology Department of NMIMR and is a PhD student supervisor on this project.
Department of Immunology, NMIMR, UG, Legon.
Dr. Linda Amoah is a molecular biologist with malaria biology background in the Immunology Department of NMIMR. She has a PhD from Georgetown University in the US and has over fifteen years of experience in molecular biology and recombinant DNA technology. Dr Amoah is responsible for some molecular aspects of the project and will co-supervise one of the PhD students.
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra.
Dr. Taiba Jibril Afaa is also a gastroenterologist working at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and a lecturer with the University of Ghana Medical School.
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra.
Department of Immunology, NMIMR, UG, Legon.
Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Moecular Biology (BCMB), University of Ghana, Legon.
Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science (DABCS), College of Basic and Applied Sciences, UG, Legon.
West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB), UG, Legon.
The project has also recruited study nurses, field/laboratory personnel and data entry personnel with the appropriate background and expertise for study implementation.
This project (TMA2018SF-2456) is part of the EDCTP2 Programme supported by the European Union.
