New treatments to help end river blindness
Innovative therapeutic strategies to support elimination of river blindness
Developing and testing new drugs and treatment plans to kill the adult worms that cause river blindness for people living in affected areas.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166445 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
River blindness (onchocerciasis) is caused by a parasitic worm and current mass drug rounds often only kill the immature parasites, meaning transmission can continue. This project looks for and develops drugs that can kill adult worms (macrofilaricides) and designs treatment schedules that could shorten or stop transmission. The team uses laboratory studies, animal models, and work tied to drugs already in clinical development to find promising candidates and treatment combinations. If successful, the work would move toward clinical testing in communities where river blindness is common.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living in onchocerciasis-endemic regions or anyone diagnosed with river blindness would be the ideal candidates for related clinical testing.
Not a fit: People who do not have onchocerciasis, live outside endemic areas, or are in groups excluded from specific drug testing (for example some young children or pregnant people) may not benefit from the interventions studied.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could produce treatments that kill adult parasites and help communities stop transmission sooner, reducing blindness and long-term infections.
How similar studies have performed: Related approaches have shown promise—moxidectin improved parasite clearance and emodepside has shown activity against adult worms in development—but no single new drug has yet proven to stop transmission everywhere.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mitreva, Makedonka — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Mitreva, Makedonka
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.