The DOLF Project
The DOLF Project PI, Dr. Peter Fischer, and associate director Laura Peer traveled to Liberia in October for a mid-trial visit the site of DOLF’s clinical trial of treatment for the neglected tropical disease (NTD) onchocerciasis (also known as “river blindness”). The clinical trial is located at Bong Mines Hospital about 70 miles from the […]
Loiasis is a filarial infection of millions of people in western Africa. In addition to the morbidity caused by this infection, the presence of loiasis significantly complicates global health campaigns to eliminate two neglected tropical diseases- lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. When people with a high burden of Loa loa microfilaria (the causative agent of loiasis) are […]
We would like to announce that Postdoctoral Research Associate Dr. Adebiyi Adeniran transitioned out of his role with DOLF at the end of August. While we are saddened to see him go, we are excited about his future opportunities. During his two years with DOLF, Adebiyi made significant contributions to our lab by using molecular […]
The DOLF Project is excited to welcome Kassandra Huneycutt, our new Research Administrator. Kassandra brings three years of experience as a Post-Award Grant Specialist within the Office of Research at the University of Central Florida and six years of experience as a Grants Specialist with Wycliffe Bible Translators. In her new role, Kassandra will be […]
In July, the DOLF Project welcomed Laura Peer in the new role of Associate Director Global Health Research. In her new role with the DOLF Project, Laura will oversee office administration and field operations, as well as support strategic planning and center communications. Laura most recently worked for the International Center for Child Health and […]
The DOLF Project hosted Gold Family Summer Research Scholar Michael Poirier this summer through the 2024 Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program. Michael is a rising senior at Saint Louis University studying Public Health and Psychology. He had a productive summer, completing several important projects with the DOLF Project, a research center and lab […]
DOLF investigators are beginning a follow-up study on the efficacy of a new combination treatment for lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis in the Akoupé district of Côte d’Ivoire. This study began July 4th and builds upon a large-scale community survey sponsored by Medicines Development for Global Health (MDGH). This study aims to determine whether moxidectin […]
DOLF researchers announce initiation of a major a new clinical trial of treatments for onchocerciasis in Liberia. The study will compare the safety and efficacy of three new combination treatments with a reference treatment of albendazole plus ivermectin. DOLF researchers have worked closely for the past 18 months with colleagues at the National Public Health […]
Gary J. Weil, MD, co-principal investigator of the DOLF Project, was installed as the inaugural Gerald and Judith Medoff Professor of Infectious Diseases on January 29, 2024 at Washington University in St. Louis.
Happy 2024 from the DOLF team! From the field to the lab and back again, here is a brief snap shot of our 2023, a year that saw many new advances and developments in our research on lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis (oncho). As an added bonus, we even learned the best bait for catching […]
We are pleased to share the news that DOLF Co-Director, Gary Weil received the 2023 Kyelem Prize at the annual Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD). Described by some as the “Oscar” of neglected tropical disease (NTD) research, this prize recognizes people in the field who have been particularly effective in bringing […]
In May 2023 Irina Diekmann, a veterinarian and postdoc at Washington University, traveled to Belitung Island, Indonesia to assist Professor Taniawati Supali and her team at the Universitas Indonesia, trap crab-eating macaques for blood collection to determine if they are a potential animal reservoir of B. malayi. B. malayi, a filarial nematode and one of […]
The DOLF Team Supports a New Clinical Trial in Côte d’Ivoire to Test Safety of Moxidectin in Regions co-Endemic to Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filiariasis Onchocerciasis (oncho), also known as river blindness, is a serious, debilitating, and stigmatizing parasitic disease. It is a major neglected tropical disease that causes severe skin disease and blindness in more […]
Onchocerciasis (“river blindness”), a parasitic disease that leads to debilitating and stigmatizing ailments, has been targeted by the World Health Organization for elimination. New drug treatments that kill or permanently sterilize female worms could accelerate this process. The DOLF team, together with our partners at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ghana […]
As we look towards a new year, we wanted to share some highlights from 2022, a year that saw many new advances and developments in our research on Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) and Onchocerciasis (Oncho). LF research Cote d’Ivoire. In late winter, DOLF team members traveled to Côte d’Ivoire for 12-month follow-up visits for patients enrolled […]
Adebiyi is a molecular entomologist and molecular parasitologist with over a decade of Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) research and control program experience in sub-Saharan Africa and in Mexico. Adebiyi has previously worked as the Regional Technical Lead for NTD diagnostics for Sightsavers UK, where he provided technical and advisory support to NTD control programs in […]
Monday, October 31, 2022 Presenter Session Name # Abstract Title Time Location Catherine Bjerum Session 9 – Filariasis – Clinical, Immunology, Diagnostics 35 Moxidectin combination therapy for lymphatic filariasis is superior to ivermectin plus albendazole for clearance of microfilaremia at 12 months post-treatment 8:00 – 8:15 am Convention Center – Room 611/612 Peter Fischer Session […]
PloS “Collections” are useful for readers and researchers alike, because provide easy access to related articles on high priority topics that have been published in PLoS journals at different times. This collection (published June 16, 2022) focuses on clinical trials and community studies of the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of the triple drug regimen IDA […]
Over a decade ago, Indonesia had one of the largest populations endemic for lymphatic filariasis (LF) in the world with 50% of the districts endemic for this mosquito borne disease. The country consists of 6,000 inhabited island and stretches over 3,000 miles from east to west. While some districts have eliminated LF by mass drug […]
The DOLF project (www.dolfproject.wustl.edu) led clinical trials and community studies of the safety and efficacy of a single-dose triple-drug therapy (IDA) for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). IDA is now being used in mass drug administration (MDA) programs in many countries to accelerate LF elimination. This work was supported by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates […]
Development of new treatments for Riverblindness: Facilitated histological assessment of Onchocerca volvulus nodules to detect treatment effects on adult worms Adult O. volvulus worms reside in subcutaneous nodules and can live up to 15 years. It requires special expert knowledge to differentiate natural morphological changes during its life span from changes induced by anti-filarial drugs […]
With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and in partnership with the local partner Swiss Center for Scientific research in Cote d’Ivoire and the Ivorian National NTD Program, DOLF investigators helped organizing surgical hydrocelectomy training this week in Agboville, Cote d’Ivoire. Eight surgeons from various parts of Cote d’Ivoire, 2 nurses, and 2 […]
Joining the team in November, Betsy brings over 15 years of global health experience, including nearly a decade of research administration at Washington University to the team. In her previous role as Associate Director for the International Center for Child Health and Development, she helped develop and manage the center’s growing capacity building arm as […]
DOLF Presentations at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Virtual, November 2021) Symposium: Clinical development of new treatments to support the global elimination of onchocerciasis. GJ Weil, C Hanson, N Opoku, A Hoerauf, S. Specht, M Sullivan. Coverage and impact of a single dose of ivermectin, DEC and albendazole […]
DOLF researchers Benjamin Koudou, Allassane Ouattara, Catherine Bjerum, and colleagues were recently honored to receive the 11th CSRS-Eremitage Fund Prize for Scientific Research in Partnership from the Swiss Center for Scientific Research in Côte d’Ivoire. The prize recognizes the team’s pioneering research on new treatments for lymphatic filariasis, a disabling and disfiguring parasitic disease that […]
First Half of 2021 Eneanya OA, Koudou BG, Aboulaye M, Elvis AA, Souleymane Y, Kouakou MM, Weil GJ, Fischer PU. Progress towards onchocerciasis elimination in Côte d’Ivoire: A geospatial modelling study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021 Feb 10;15(2):e0009091. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0009091. eCollection 2021 Feb PMID: 33566805. This study reviewed dramatic improvements in onchocerciasis endemicity that have occurred […]
The DOLF project is pleased to share several recent publications from clinical trials and community studies of alternative treatments for lymphatic filariasis. All of these have been published with open access. The first two articles (by Campillo et al and Ouattara et al) provide further strong evidence in support of the WHO recommendation to use […]
Dr. Fatorma Bolay, the director of the Division of Public Health Research at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) has passed away. He was the director of the former Liberian Institute for Biomedical Research (LIBR) and DOLF-Project collaborator since 2011. Dr. Bolay navigated the LIBR through difficult times in Liberia and was a […]
The DOLF Project has just published an article on the spatial distribution of onchocerciasis (Oncho) in Côte d’Ivoire before and after the introduction of mass distribution of ivermectin. This work was based on extensive Ministry of Health mapping and surveillance data collected between 1975 and 2016. Data included village geolocations, village-level prevalence and intensity estimates […]
The DOLF Project (dolfproject.wustl.edu) is proud to announce publication of an important paper on the safety and efficacy of a triple drug combination treatment (IDA) for lymphatic filariasis (LF) in India. With almost 9,000 participants, this was the largest of five IDA safety and efficacy studies that DOLF coordinated with financial support from the Bill […]
Previously Nicole was DOLF’s Data Manager for 15 months before stepping into the role as Program Manager. Nicole served for one year in AmeriCorps conducting HIV prevention with high-risk populations in Cleveland, Ohio. After AmeriCorps, Nicole received her Master’s in Public Health from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis with a specialization […]
DOLF project studies have demonstrated the safety and superior efficacy of IDA (a triple drug regimen of ivermectin, DEC, and albendazole) for treatment of lymphatic filariasis (LF). Moxidectin is a new drug that was recently approved for treatment of onchocerciasis. It is more effective than ivermectin for long-term clearance of O. volvulus parasites from the […]
DOLF project ophthalmologists Michael Gyasi and Augustine Hong have published a short case report of a patient with ocular onchocerciasis. This includes a photo and a very interesting video with motile microfilariae in the anterior chamber of the eye (open access, see “supplements”) that people may want to use for teaching or social mobilization. Microfilarial […]
DOLF researchers provide update on long term effect of IDA triple drug treatment for lymphatic filariasis. N Engl J Med. 2018;382(20):1956-1957
The DOLF team recently collaborated with the Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta and the Indonesian Ministry of Health to host a 1.5-day meeting in early February in Jakarta to discuss strategic planning for the upcoming rollout of IDA mass drug administration (MDA) in the country. The attendee list also included a representative of the Bill and Melinda […]
The lab in St. Louis received an Olympus VS120-S6 microscope and slide scanner. Microscopy is essential to study the effect of drugs on adult Onchocerca volvulus worms. However, drug-related morphological changes are sometimes difficult to differentiate from age-related changes of the worms. Unfortunately, is the technical expertise to judge worms in histological nodule sections vanishing […]
Dr. Christopher King and his team from Case Western Reserve University and Dr. Alison Krentel from the Bruyere Research Institute in Ottawa have returned to East New Britain to continue their research. Dr. Krentel will train local staff on procedures for assessing the acceptability of the triple drug mass drug administration that was provided province-wide […]
DOLF researchers and staff traveled to Hohoe, Ghana in December 2019 to work with Nick Opoku’s team at the University of Health and Allied Sciences to initiate a trial of the triple drug treatment IDA in persons with onchocerciasis. This study is testing the same IDA combination (ivermectin plus DEC and albendazole) that is so […]
Nicole Fetcho joined the DOLF Project in October 2019 as a Statistical Data Analyst and Data Manager. Nicole is well prepared for this work with a Master of Public Health degree (with a focus on Biostatistics and Epidemiology) from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Her MPH practicum work […]
Researchers uncover molecular changes associated with treating lymphatic filariasis
New Global Health Program Manager (Operations) – The DOLF Project Teresa joins the DOLF project as the Global Health Program Manager for Operations taking over for Rachel Anderson. She joins us with two years of health care research and data analysis experience at the State of Massachusetts’s Center for Health Information and Analysis. Prior to […]
The DOLF project has received a 2.4 million dollar grant to support studies to assess the impact of an IDA implementation program in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea (PNG) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . Prior DOLF studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the “IDA” three-drug combination drug therapy […]
The DOLF Project is proud to announce publication in PLOS Medicine of results form a major safety study investigating the use of a triple drug combination “IDA” as a treatment regimen for lymphatic filariasis. The study enrolled more than 26,000 participants in five countries. Results from this study suggest that IDA is safe enough for […]
TRANSLATIONAL AND OPERATIONAL FIELD RESEARCH ON LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS AND ONCHOCERCIASIS Our group at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct cutting-edge research to support elimination programs for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. We are seeking postdoctoral fellows to (1) participate in applied field research […]
DOLF Researcher Dr. Christine Dubray, a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, was the keynote speaker for the Washington University Medical School’s 21st Global Health & Medicine Symposium held on April 17. The title of her talk was, “A global health career on the front lines, and what I […]
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports DOLF research to fight elephantiasis, river blindness
DOLF investigators Christopher King and James Kazura from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland with colleagues at the Papua New Guinea Institute for Medical Research and at Washington University in St. Louis have just published important results from a randomized clinical trial. This trial tested the safety and efficacy of a new triple drug treatment […]
Identifying solutions for enrollment, regulatory requirements, drug procurement, and improved collaboration for an international clinical trial in Hohoe Ghana By Rachel Bick and Philip BudgeOctober 5, 2018 The DOLF Project recently sent two team members, Philip Budge and Rachel Bick, to visit the Nick Opoku and the DOLF Onchocerciasis research team in Hohoe, Ghana. Our […]
The DOLF project, a collaboration of partners from Africa, Asia, the U.S. and Europe, has secured a new grant of 2.1 Million dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This grant will fund a clinical trial of a new treatment for onchocerciasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms that is also known as River […]
2018 Summer Research Program Reflections – Complexities Behind Lymphatic Filariasis July 12,2018 The blog is following the student participants in this year’s Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program (https://publichealth. wustl.edu/resources/summer-research program/). Each student will be providing their own reflections from a Summer Research Program Seminar Series (https://publichealth. wustl.edu/series/summer-research program-seminars/ ) event. Some students will […]