Conservation And Sustainable Use Of Biodiversity In PNG
Louis R Barrows, Associate Professor
Pharmacology And Toxicologyuniversity Of Utah
Grant 3U01TW006671-05S1 from Fogarty International Center, IRG: ZRG1
Project start date: 2003-09-25
Project end date: 2009-04-30
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Grants awarded to Louis R Barrows
Conservation And Sustainable Use Of Biodiversity In PNG
Louis R Barrows, Associate Professor
Pharmacology And Toxicologyuniversity Of Utah
75 South 2000 East
salt Lake City, Ut 84112
Grant 5U01TW006671-05 from Fogarty International Center, IRG: ZRG1
Abstract: The overarching goals of this ICBG are to improve human health and well being through an integrated set of programs dedicated to the assessment, conservation, and rational utilization of the flora and fauna of Papua New Guinea (PNG). With more than 34 million hectares of closed tropical forests, PNG ranks 9th among the most forested tropical countries of the world. Understanding of the full range of biological resources resident in PNG is essential for their management and the preservation of species critical to indigenous cultures, and for the development of strategies for sustainable resource use. It is a central hypothesis of this work that effective new therapeutics can be derived from the natural products of PNG flora and fauna. Such therapeutics, either as Western medicines or marketed as traditional phytomedicines, can provide needed revenue to local stakeholders and responsible PNG institutions. This income would provide alterative, non-timber, economic value to PNG forests and reefs and an incentive for the preservation of biological diversity. The participants in this consortium include 1) the University of Utah, which will participate in anti-TB, anti-HIV, anti-malaria, anticancer, and neurotropic drug discovery with Brigham Young University and the University of Miami, natural products isolation and structure determination, and grant administration; 2) the University of Papua New Guinea, which will participate in plant inventory and collection with the National Forest Research Institute, ethnomedicinal plant collection, extract preparation and screening, natural product economic evaluation, the development of intellectual property rights legislation with PNG BioNET and the Department of Environment and Conservation, outreach and education with the NGO Conservation Melanesia, and marine reef conservation and marine invertebrate inventory with The Nature Conservancy; 3) the Smithsonian Institution, which, with the Natural History Museum, London, will execute analysis of PNG flora and fauna collections that have been exported from PNG, and data repatriation; 4) Wyeth Research will isolate actinomycetes, fungi and additional microbes from unique marine and terrestrial niches, and analyze these microbial cultures, and the plant extracts prepared above, for pharmacologic potential in their disease focus areas
Keywords: Papua New Guinea, biological product, drug discovery /isolation, ecology classification, cooperative study, marine biology, medicinal plant, plant extract, socioeconomics, soil microbiology
Project start date: 2003-09-25
Project end date: 2009-04-30
5U01TW006671-05 (2007): $780336
5U01TW006671-04 (2006): $761830
5U01TW006671-03 (2005): $780164
5U01TW006671-02 (2004): $780164
1U01TW006671-01 (2003): $683533
West African HIV Drug Screening Capacity
Louis R Barrows, Associate Professor
Pharmacology And Toxicologyuniversity Of Utah
75 South 2000 East
salt Lake City, Ut 84112
Grant 1R03TW005701-01 from Fogarty International Center, IRG: AARR
Abstract: The objective of this AIDS-FIRCA application is to test the hypothesis that traditional medicines used in West and Central Africa for the treatment of AIDS have direct anti-HIV activity. This project will complement the ongoing support of the associated ICBG ´Drug Development and Conservation of Biodiversity in West and Central Africa." It is estimated that over 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV. There is evidence that AIDS existed in Central Africa for decades before it was widely recognized as an epidemic in the West. This implies that local healers have, in fact, been treating AIDS for decades. These traditional treatment strategies have been based on hundreds of years of practical experience with the use of local flora to treat infectious diseases. AIDS is a complex disease, the proximal cause of death being super-infection due to the victims weakened immune system. Nevertheless, it is likely that many of the therapies currently being employed by traditional practitioners have direct anti-HIV activity. This hypothesis is supported by the preliminary screening of 35 extracts of plants used for AIDS. Potent anti-HIV activity was found in 2 of the extracts at concentrations not toxic to cultured human T-cells. A non-infectious whole HI V-virus replication assay will be employed to test plant extracts for anti-HIV activity, and to guide the isolation of the active components. This assay will be established in Nigeria at the International Center for Ethnomedicine and Drug Development (Inter CEDD) at Nsukka. It will necessitate development of a working mammalian cell culture capacity in-country. This application requests funds to provide minor but essential equipment items for the facility. It will also provide travel assistance for Dr.s Akubue, Chah or Oboegbulem to train at Dr. Barrows´ "Drug Testing Facility" at the University of Utah. This application will also provide travel assistance for Barrows to visit Inter CEDD and consult in the lab set-up and training for local scientists in implementation of the screening protocols, etc
Keywords: AIDS therapy, HIV infection, antiviral agent, drug design /synthesis /production, drug screening /evaluation, folk medicine, human immunodeficiency virus, plant extract Africa, cooperative study, health care cost /financing, leishmaniasis, malaria, species difference, trypanosomiasis, virus replication human tissue, tissue /cell culture
Project start date: 2001-07-01
Project end date: 2003-06-30
1R03TW005701-01 (2001): $40000
Conservation And Sustainable Use Of Biodiversity In PNG
Louis R Barrows, Associate Professor
Pharmacology And Toxicologyuniversity Of Utah
Grant 3U01TW006671-05S1 from Fogarty International Center, IRG: ZRG1
Project start date: 2003-09-25
Project end date: 2009-04-30
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