Global health R&D at work in South Dakota
Researchers at South Dakota State University are working to advance treatments for parasitic diseases, including leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness. The former, carried by sandflies, causes disfiguring skin lesions and in severe cases, deadly spleen and liver problems, and the latter, transmitted by the tsetse fly, leads to neurological and psychiatric issues. The research team has successfully isolated a molecule that naturally occurs in plants and has demonstrated antiparasitic properties. They are now working to modify and synthetically produce it as a potential drug for further testing. If successful, the work could lead to treatments for other parasitic infections, including Chagas disease.