Bioactives

Drug discovery for tropical diseases is one of the research priorities of Swiss TPH. We have developed a wide range of in vitro assays and in vivo models to identify novel chemical hits and to guide hit-to-lead development. Our credo is to always test against the relevant pathogen species and stage, rather than using surrogate models. The success of this approach is demonstrated by the fact that several of the therapies currently in clinical trials have been developed using our drug discovery platform. Breakthroughs achieved in collaboration with Swiss TPH include novel treatments for Buruli ulcer, human African trypanosomiasis, malaria and soil-transmitted helminths.

Bacteria
Mycobacterium ulcerans                 in vitro assaysin vivo assays
Protozoa
Babesia divergensin vitro assays
Babesia microtiin vivo assays
Entamoeba histolyticain vitro assays
Giardia intestinalisin vitro assays
Leishmania donovaniin vitro assays
Leishmania infantumin vitro assays
Plasmodium falciparum
in vitro assaysin vivo assays
Plasmodium berghei
ex vivoin vivo assays
Trypanosoma brucei brucei
in vitro assaysin vivo assays
Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
in vitro assaysin vivo assays
Trypanosoma brucei gambiense
in vitro assaysin vivo assays
Trypanosoma congolense
in vitro assaysin vivo assays
Trypanosoma cruzi
in vitro assays
Trypanosoma evansi
in vitro assaysin vivo assays
Trypanosoma vivax
ex vivo assaysin vivo assays
Helminths    
Ancylostoma ceylanicum in vitro assays in vivo assays
Echinostoma caproni in vitro assays in vivo assays
Fasciola hepatica in vitro assays in vivo assays
Heligmosomoides polygyrus           in vitro assays in vivo assays
Necator americanus in vitro assays in vivo assays
Schistosoma mansoni in vitro assays in vivo assays
Schistosoma haematobium in vitro assays in vivo assays
Trichuris muris in vitro assays in vivo assays
Divers    
several cell lines of Cytotox            in vitro assays                         

 

We rear a range of mosquito colonies and undertake bioassays in our Arthropod Testing Facility.

Anopheles gambiae s.s. (Tiassalé)
Anopheles gambia s.s. (Kisumu)
Anopheles stephensi (STI)
Aedes aegypti (Rockefeller)
Aedes albopictus (Basiliensis)
Culex quinquefasciatus (BG)

 

Ticks

Ornithodoros moubata

 

Contacts

Blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum
Egg of S. mansoni
T. b. rhodesiense between red blood cells
Aedes aegypti