Infectious Disease Research Institute Receives Grant for Acquisition of Core Research Equipment from M.J. Murdock Charit...( SEATTLE Oct. 19 /- The Infectious...)

SEATTLE, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI), a Seattle-based non-profit scientific research institute, recently received a $252,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for core research equipment.

The Murdock Trust grant will enable IDRI to assemble an equipment core to enhance its basic research on immune responses against infectious diseases. IDRI's mission is to research and develop technologies to be used against diseases that continue to burden individuals and countries in the developing world.

IDRI projects enabled under the Murdock grant are focused on chronic infections resulting in leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, trachoma, Buruli ulcer, leprosy, and Chagas disease. Together, these diseases present major public health burdens and cause premature death or disability.

Targeted Diseases

-- Leishmaniasis, transmitted by the bite of a sandfly and caused by

Leishmania infection, is endemic in 88 countries. Approximately

15 million new cases of leishmaniasis occur each year. Visceral

leishmaniasis, which causes damage to internal organs, is often fatal

if left untreated.

-- Tuberculosis is a worldwide health problem. Caused by Mycobacterium

tuberculosis infection, every fifteen seconds someone in the developing

world dies of tuberculosis.

-- Leprosy is endemic in areas of Indian, Brazil, Philippines, the

Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, and

Tanzania. It is caused by Mycobacterium leprae infection.

-- Chagas disease, caused by Typanosoma cruzi infection, is endemic in

21 countries in Latin America. It is estimated that 18 million people

are affected by this chronic inflammatory disease, which affects the

heart and digestive tract and in some cases results in death.

-- Malaria, a major parasitic disease, is particularly devastating to