Forging ahead with Leishmania

By 2001, Deborah Smith, professor of molecular parasitology, expects impressive developments in helping eliminate a parasite that causes one of the most widespread tropical diseases in the underdeveloped world.

Professor Deborah Smith anticipates impressive developments in Leishmania research by 2001

Leishmania is estimated to cause two million new cases of Leishmaniasis each year in 88 countries. It puts 367 million people at risk and has symptoms which range from disfiguring skin lesions to the destruction of internal organs. Children and other susceptible groups such as HIV+ patients are most at risk.

Professor Smith's group is part of the Wellcome Trust Laboratories for molecular parasitology within the department of biochemistry at the College. Long term aims include identifying new ways to tackle Leishmaniasis, using several approaches.

One involves examining the physical map of the Leishmania genome which forms the basis for the massive project at the Sanger Centre in Cambridge, as well as in the USA. By learning the sequence of the parasite, even more targets that may be used for vaccines and drugs can be identified.

"This is the most exciting thing that's happening in this field. We expect the whole sequence of Leishmania to be solved by 2001. This is really important; it's going to change the way we do science," says Professor Smith, also director of postgraduate studies in the department.

The group's ultimate aim is to find targets for new drugs or vaccines. The World Health Organisation is currently testing several vaccines, including one from Imperial. The same protein from the Leishmania that causes the most serious internal disease is the one Professor Smith hopes will be used in clinical trials.

This part of her vaccine programme is being done in collaboration with Professor Paul Kaye, an immunologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Professor Smith is also studying the genetics of Leishmania.

"In terms of fundamental research, we are interested in targets. We have a programme to identify how genes are regulated in the infective stages of Leishmania, looking at the structure of the parasite, finding out how the genes work and identifying novel proteins.

"I like the blend of pure fundamental research coupled with the more applied aspects in which we can show that what we do in a laboratory situation can successfully undergo trials. I travel quite a lot and it's a privilege to meet people from endemic countries, either in the health care service or patients themselves."

Professor Smith began her career at Southampton University where her PhD followed a degree in biochemistry.

"After working at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, I came to Imperial as a molecular biologist when genetic engineering was getting itself off the ground."

While studying the fruit fly, Drosophila, she met David Sacks, a scientist working on Leishmania in the United States. He discovered the parasite could be obtained in two forms; non-infective and infective. By using newly emergent molecular biology techniques, Professor Smith realised it was possible to find the proteins which caused Leishmania to be non-infective or infective. Encouraged by her colleagues, she decided to investigate Leishmania for herself. "I thought I would try to get money to look into this. I did and it's just taken off!"