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Published on October 16, 2007

Dr Surang Nuchprayoon, a researcher at the Department of Parasitology of Chulalongkorn University, said her team was developing a new treatment by studying the effects of antimicrobial agents on Brugia malayi microfilariae.

She explained that elephantiasis was a rare disorder of the lymphatic system caused by parasitic worms such as Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi bacteria.

Mosquitoes are able to transmit the disease and the inflammation of the lymphatic vessels can cause extreme enlargement of the affected area - usually a limb or parts of the head and torso.

The disease is found in tropical regions, particularly in Africa.

She said most patients with elephantiasis were treated with a drug called Doxycycline, which works as an antimicrobial agent and can destroy the Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi bacteria.

A patient needs to be treated with Doxycycline for eight weeks. If they take the drug for longer it can increase the side effects.

"We want to find out how patients could be treated without taking the drug for a long time, and see if they do not suffer with side effects from the drug," she said.

Surang said her study was focusing on how the bacteria respond to the drug. The research team will then determine the genetic structure of the bacteria to find the exact gene target for a drug that could block the parasite's infection of humans.

Surang and her team were awarded the Cerebos Award 2007 and received a grant for Bt100,000 to develop the research and the hoped-for discovery of a new drug.

Meanwhile, a similar grant was awarded to Warunee Ngernngarmlert, a researcher at the Department of Parasitology of Mahidol University. Warunee is developing a drug from Thai herbs against hookworm, which causes anaemia, abdominal pain, stunted growth and restricted mental development.

Warunne is focusing on three kinds of herbs: Thai neem leaves, Candlelabra brush and ma klue.

These herbs are normally used on patients with hookworm in traditional treatment. The essential extract will used to develop a new drug, due to the resistance of the current drug Albendazole.

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation