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Research project

Development of a point-of-care diagnostic test for mycetoma in Africa

Status: Ongoing project, start date 2022; end date 2025

The tropical disease mycetoma can be caused by bacteria or fungi. Characteristic of this disease is the formation of a shield by the pathogens which protect them against drugs. This makes this disease untreatable. PENEGRAIN is an open science project in which scientists and laymen will collaborate to open up this shield. We will create novel models which we will use to determine how this shield is created and which drugs and carriers can penetrate. This research will lead to novel drugs which can be used not only for mycetoma but also for other difficult to treat infections.

Contact

What we do

About our project

In this project, we will develop an easy-to-use diagnostic testing tool that can be used in local rural clinics in Africa with limited equipment and within an hour. The test will be able to tell what the causative agent is and whether it should respond to the therapy given. To develop this test, DNA sequences will be read of a large sample of causative agents. Unique sequences will be identified that can be used to rapidly identify the causative agent in patients, and to demonstrate if the pathogen will respond to treatment. Since the test will use DNA as the starting material, simple DNA isolation methods will be developed. To make sure that the test is suitable, it will be evaluated under laboratory conditions in Africa. For this, we will test its performance in Senegal and Sudan. At the end of the project, our test will be ready for clinical trials in Africa. The development of this diagnostic test with the funding of Dioraphte will be a major step forward in mycetoma management in rural Africa. It will allow early mycetoma case detection and initiation of proper therapy in local health-centers. This will reduce the number of amputations needed and tremendously improve the quality of life of mycetoma patients in Africa. Patients will be able to resume their normal daily activities, earn a living and not be shunned. This will affect them, their families and society as a whole.

Our research focus

Identifying the most common causative agents

With whole genome sequencing we will determine the etiology of mycetoma causative agents in Sudan and Senegal.

Rapid DNA isolation procedures

Since we previously demonstrated that molecular diagnostic assays such as PCR are the most rapid and accurate in identifying the causative agent, we will focus on molecular diagnostic assays in more detail. In order to run a molecular diagnostic assay one needs to isolate DNA first. The current DNA isolation protocols are lengthy and require a lot of machinery. This is not field friendly. In this project we will develop an easy to use DNA isolation procedure for mycetoma grains.

Recombinase polymerase amplifcation

To overcome the need to use expensive thermocyclers in this project we will develop an recombinase polymerase amplification reaction. In that way diagnosis can be performed in a simple heat block and will only take 20 minutes. 
 

Funds & Grants

This project has been funded by Dioraphte.

Collaborations

  • Professor Ahmed Fahal,
    Professor of Surgery,
    Mycetoma Research Centre,
    Khartoum,
    Sudan
  • Professor Doudou Sow,
    University Saint Berger,
    Saint Louis,
    Senegal

  • Professor Jeff Errington,
    University of Sydney,
    Sydney,
    Australia

  • Ana Litventseva,
    Centers for Disease Control,
    Atlanta, 
    United States of America

Our team

Principal investigator

Team members