DOLF Team’s 2023 in Review

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 […]

A New DOLF Publication Highlights Promising New Results in Support of Onchocerciasis Elimination

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 […]
Welcome to DOLF’s new Postdoctoral Research Associate- Dr. Adebiyi Adeniran

Welcome to DOLF’s new Postdoctoral Research Associate- Dr. Adebiyi Adeniran

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 […]

DOLF Presentations – ASTMH Meeting

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 […]

Highlighting DOLF Publications

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 […]

Publications from Clinical Trials

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 […]

DOLF Co-Founder and Co-Director Dr. Gary Weil receives the prestigious Kyelem Prize

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 […]

The Role of Monkeys as a Reservoir for the Lymphatic Filarial Parasite Brugia malayi on Belitung Island, Indonesia

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 […]

DOLF Team Supports New Clinical Trial in Cote d’Ivoire

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 […]

The DOLF Team’s 2022: Year in Review

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 […]
DOLF and DOLF-Affiliated Researcher Presentations at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Conference

DOLF and DOLF-Affiliated Researcher Presentations at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Conference

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 […]

Eleven DOLF Project publications on triple drug (IDA) mass drug administration for elimination of lymphatic filariasis have now been bundled as a PLoS Collection

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 […]
DOLF Team receives a $1.8 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant to Explore Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination in Indonesia

DOLF Team receives a $1.8 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant to Explore Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination in Indonesia

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 Team’s Work to Improve Prospects for Elimination of LF Featured in a Special Supplement Published in the Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. (March 2022)

The DOLF Team’s Work to Improve Prospects for Elimination of LF Featured in a Special Supplement Published in the Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. (March 2022)

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

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 […]