Translational Medicine

Artemisinins are very poweful tools in the treatment of malaria, and the emerging loss of their activity has the potential to create a major public health problem. MALARIA TREATMENT Dr Charlie Woodrow is based at MORU in Bangkok, Thailand, where he coordinates clinical and laboratory studies on resistance to artemisinins. Bringing together diverse datasets of clinical, in vitro and molecular data has helped better understand the emerging resistance, particularly in Myanmar.

Alteration of gene expression is fundamental to many diseases. A better understanding of how epigenetic proteins affect diseases provides a starting point for therapy development and the discovery of new drug. Professor Paul Brennan research focusses on epigenetics: the mechanisms that control gene expression. He studies how chemical probes interfere with epigenetic enyzmes that can be targeted to treat various diseases. Epigenetics combined with disease biology will ultimately accelerate drug discovery.

A missing step in a metabolic pathway leads to the build-up of toxic compounds, and the lack of materials essential for normal function. Professor Wyatt Yue explores how genetic defects lead to disease at the molecular level, by determining 3D structures and biochemical properties of enzymes and protein complexes linked to congenital genetic errors. Professor Yue works closely with clinicians and paediatricians to decipher the underlying genetic, biochemical and cellular mechanisms of these diseases. His long-term aim is to help design novel therapeutic approaches for metabolic diseases.

Too high a dose can result in toxicity and side-effects, too low a dose can cause the illness to come back and at worse develop resistance. Professor Joel Tarning is Head of Clinical Pharmacology in our MORU Unit in Bangkok, Thailand. He's working towards drug dose-optimisation using novel pharmacometric modelling approaches. He is particularly interested in antimalarial treatments for children and pregnant women.

Video microscopy aims to improve target discovery and drug development and to do so generates large volumes of data. Professor Jens Rittscher has a joint appointment between the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the Target Discovery Institute and the Department of Engineering Science. His research aims to enhance our understanding of complex biological processes through the analysis of image data acquired at the microscopic scale.

Dr Sebastian Nijman develops new approaches to study signalling networks in cancer cells and uncover specific weaknesses, particularly in breast and lung cancer. This can be used to develop more effective drugs and to better guide treatment decisions. In the context of cancer, genetic diversity means that we respond differently to various treatments. Pharmacogenomics sits at the intersection between genetics and drugs. Better understanding of the genetic landscape of cancer and the recent increase of targeted drugs allow us to better match patients with the best treatments, improving care.

Microbiology in Thailand Acurately diagnosing infections is particularly challenging in tropical environments. Researchers at the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) are working to develop effective and practical means of diagnosing and treating malaria and other neglected tropical diseases, such as dengue fever. The development of rapid tests for dengue, similar to pregnancy tests, allow rapid and acurate diagnostics in the field.

Infectious diseases in South East Asia The Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) is a collaboration between the University of Oxford and Mahidol University, and was established with the Wellcome Trust in 1979. MORU aims to fight the infectious tropical diseases affecting rural communities in Asia and elsewhere in the developing world. MORU's malaria research aims to directly improve the treatment of the disease globally. It's researchers focus on the treatment of severe malaria, the spread of antimalarial drug resistance, and the pathophysiology of falciparum and vivax malaria. These studies are used to formulate novel adjuvant therapies, and have been translated into recommendations for the use of artemisinin based combination therapies.

Daniel Paris: Rickettsial Disease Rickettsial diseases such as scrub typhus are important causes of fever in southeast Asia especially in rural communities. Discovered quite recently and not big killers, these diseases are among the most under-reported and under-diagnosed illnesses that are both treatable and preventable. Rickettsial studies at he Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) focus on the epidemiology and incidence of the disease using hospital-based fever studies in Thailand and Laos. Our research unit has developed highly improved acute diagnosis of rickettsial illness. MORU also has ongoing studies to determine the pathophysiological mechanisms of scrub typhus infection.

Professor Townsend tells us about lessons to be drawn from the history of immunology in Oxford, from 1979 onwards, until his current research on active and passive immunity to influenza. All these developments happened in Oxford because the atmosphere was right, open, researchers were encouraged to explore, and there was an enthusiasm in a great environment. Experiments and discoveries were made possible by the very open attitude of the supervisors at the time, telling their team that they they could do anything they wanted.