The Turing Foundation - Leprosy elimination

Below is a list of leprosy projects up to July 2007. An overview of recent projects can be found on our leprosy project page.

Older leprosy projects:

July 2009	Field Projects Leprosy Control, Cambodia 2009 The Leprosy Foundation works together with the CIOMAL organisation on Leprosy control in Cambodia. The quality of diagnostics is a... more	July 2009	Field Projects Leprosy Control, Laos 2009 In Laos leprosy occurs mostly among minorities that are hard to reach. Mutilations are often severe and irreparable if the... more
July 2008	Main Supporter IDEAL consortium (Initiative for Diagnostic and Epidemiological Assays for Leprosy) 2008 This consortium of thirty Leprosy research groups will develop immunological tests in the coming years... more	May 2008	Field Projects Leprosy Control, Cambodia 2008 The Leprosy Foundation works together with the CIOMAL organisation on Leprosy control in Cambodia. The quality of diagnostics is a... more
May 2008	Field Projects Leprosy Control, Laos 2008 In Laos leprosy occurs mostly among minorities that are hard to reach. Mutilations are often severe and irreparable if the... more	September 2007	LUMC research "Immunopathology of leprosy: dissecting mechanisms of immune-mediated tissue damage in leprosy, and identification of new targets for intervention" 2007-2008 The leprosy bacterium has a high affinity for Schwann cells - cells that form a protective layer around nerves... more
March 2007	Projects to cure leprosy 2007 The Dutch Leprosy Foundation invests all over the world in projects that help diagnose and cure people who suffer from leprosy... more	2006	€1.000.000,- for the Dutch Leprosy Foundation The Dutch Leprosy Foundation has devoted itself for forty years to creating a world in which the permanent suffering, caused by leprosy, is no longer existent... more


Scientific Research
	Main Supporter IDEAL consortium (Initiative for Diagnostic and Epidemiological Assays for Leprosy) 2008 The IDEAL consortium (Initiative for Diagnostic and Epidemiological Assays for Leprosy) consists of thirty Leprosy research groups, half of which is established in countries where leprosy still occurs. All research groups have a background in laboratory research and/or research involving patients in the field. All major research groups in the world engaged in this branch of leprosy research are members of IDEAL. The IDEAL consortium is oriented towards the development of immunological tests that can detect leprosy infections in an early stage. Apart from that, molecular tests are developed for gaining a better insight into the transmission of the leprosy bacterium. The ultimate goal is to find tests that can help prevent leprosy infections by the very early (before the illness has even manifested itself) diagnosis and treatment of leprosy. The partners discuss the results of experiments, exchange experiences and information, provide materials and protocols from individual research projects and perform experiments after mutual consultation and in accordance with a testing format agreed upon. This streamlines and accelerates the research process, and yields quicker results for leprosy elimination. Since the end of 2005, IDEAL has selected several candidates for both early diagnostics and transmission studies. A test will be developed between 2008 and 2010 that can critically identify leprosy infections in blood, and efforts will be made to enable the further identification of genetic markers on the leprosy bacterium. The markers can be used in transmission studies. After 2010, IDEAL aims to start a large-scale research project on leprosy prevention through (tailor-made) prophylactic treatment of leper contacts. The Turing Foundation contributes € 644,000 in the coming years (approx. 60% of the total project cost) towards the development of the above-mentioned tests. see also: IDEAL: other projects IDEAL - Initiative for Diagnostic and Epidemiological Assays for Leprosy
	LUMC research "Immunopathology of leprosy: dissecting mechanisms of immune-mediated tissue damage in leprosy, and identification of new targets for intervention" 2007-2008 Leprosy is a contagious disease, caused by infection with a bacterium. This bacterium has a great affinity for, amongst others, Schwann cells - cells that form a protective layer around peripheral nerves. A team of the Leiden University Medical Centre conducts scientific research in order to gain a deeper insight into the processes that can lead to damages to Schwann cells and nerves - and to the related lifetime handicaps. For some time now, an effective antibiotics cocktail treatment of the infection is possible. Some patients however show strong immune reactions to this treatment, which then still lead to irreparable nerve damages. It is assumed that a leprosy bacterium within a Schwann cell is sometimes destroyed, and that small fragments (peptides) of this bacterium are presented by the Schwann cell to T-cells (defence cells). In certain circumstances, these T-lymphocytes can damage or even kill the Schwann cell. It is possible that this is one of the mechanisms involved in causing nerve damages as a result of leprosy. The LUMC-researchers think - on the basis of models originating from research on mice - that certain types of T-cells are important links in the process, but their exact nature and operations are as yet insufficiently known. The research focuses on thrashing out these immuno-pathological mechanisms, in hopes that the results can be used to develop new strategies for forecasting, tracing and preventing nerve damages as a result of leprosy. De Turing Foundation will contribute € 337,500 to this research in the coming years. see also: Meer geld voor lepra onderzoek (Leprastichting) Turing Foundation financiert lepra-onderzoek in Leiden LUMC: other projects Leprosy Research - Role of Newly Defined T-Cells
Recovery Programs for Leprosy Patients
	Field Projects Leprosy Control, Cambodia 2009 The Leprosy Foundation works together with the CIOMAL organisation on Leprosy control in Cambodia. There the Leprosy Foundation focuses primarily on improving the quality of diagnostics, treatment, technical supervision and program management. In 2009 the Turing Foundation again contributes € 50,000 to the field programs of the Leprosy Foundation in Cambodia. see also: CIOMAL: other projects Leprastichting: other projects Workers are being trained in recognizing and preventing leprosy (Cambodia 2009)
	Field Projects Leprosy Control, Laos 2009 In the Lao People's Democratic Republic leprosy mainly occurs among minorities that are often hard to reach. Contamination is usually discovered only in a late stage, when mutilations are already severe and irreparable. One of the things the Leprosy Foundation devotes itself to in Laos is better registration and medical guidance of leprosy patients, examination of people whom leprosy patients have been in contact with, and trainings and courses for local health workers. Update 2010: In 2009 the Turing Foundation again contributed € 50,000 to the field programs of the Leprosy Foundation in Laos. Because of local irregularities, the Leprosy Foundation has had to put the project on hold and has returned the donation. see also: Leprastichting: other projects Leprosy Field Visit in Luang Namtha, Laos
	Field Projects Leprosy Control, Cambodia 2008 The Leprosy Foundation works together with the CIOMAL organisation on Leprosy control in Cambodia. There the Leprosy Foundation focuses primarily on improving the quality of diagnostics, treatment, technical supervision and program management. In 2008 the Turing Foundation contributes € 50,000 to the field programs of the Leprosy Foundation in Cambodia. see also: CIOMAL: other projects Leprastichting: other projects Leprosy patients in the Kien Klean revalidation centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Photo: Nicole Slootweg)
	Field Projects Leprosy Control, Laos 2008 In the Lao People's Democratic Republic leprosy mainly occurs among minorities that are often hard to reach. Contamination is usually discovered only in a late stage, when mutilations are already severe and irreparable. One of the things the Leprosy Foundation devotes itself to in Laos is better registration and medical guidance of leprosy patients, examination of people whom leprosy patients have been in contact with, and trainings and courses for local health workers. In 2008 the Turing Foundation contributes € 50,000 to the activities of the Leprosy Foundation in Laos. see also: Leprastichting: other projects Leprosy control in Laos, 2008 (Photo Dr. Richard de Soldenhoff)
	Projects to cure leprosy 2007 The Dutch Leprosy Foundation invests all over the world in projects that help diagnose and cure people who suffer from leprosy: Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, the Carribian, China, Ethiopia, Gambia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Surinam, Thailand, Vietnam and Zambia. In 2007 the Turing Foundation contributes € 100.000,- in supports of these projects. see also: Leprastichting: other projects Leprosy Foundation, Nigeria, 2007
	€1.000.000,- for the Dutch Leprosy Foundation The Dutch Leprosy Foundation has devoted itself for forty years to creating a world in which the permanent suffering, caused by leprosy, is no longer existent and is finally eradicated. The Turing Foundation recognizes the dedication and the expertise of the Leprosy Foundation and saw such like-mindedness in their objectives that it decided to donate € 1.000.000,-. see also: 1 miljoen aan Leprastichting (Filantropie en Bestuur) Donatie van € 1.000.000,- voor de Leprastichting (Fondenwerving) Leprastichting: other projects Milou Halbesma presents €1,000,000 to Kommer Braber, manager of the Leprosy Foundation