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Gerard Cangelosi , Ph. D.
Mission
Dr. Cangelosi’s work focuses on targeted research, molecular epidemiology, and diagnostic technology brought to bear against tuberculosis and related diseases.
Research
Pathogens in the genus Mycobacterium cause tuberculosis (TB), leprosy, MAC disease
(Mycobacterium avium complex), and other significant diseases. TB
is among the most devastating public health problems worldwide. It exerts its harshest effects on children, the poor, and people who are underserved by modern medicine.
Serious infections by other mycobacteria, especially MAC, are
acquired from environmental sources and are becoming more common
in the U.S. and other countries. TB and its cousins are local as well as global problems, and immediate as well as long-term concerns. Accordingly,
our program is a mixture of basic and applied research, with the goal of understanding and combating mycobacterial diseases.
Themes
* Genetics and genomics of multi-drug resistant MAC
* Molecular
epidemiology of mycobacterial diseases
* Development of novel molecular diagnostic and epidemiological methods
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Accomplishments |
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Established tuberculosis and MAC DNA fingerprinting services to support
disease control efforts in the Pacific
Northwest. SBRI's service has been instrumental
in the investigation and containmetn of TB
outbreaks in Washington State. |
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Identified a novel “switch” used by MAC to
adapt to diverse environments. The switch affects
virulence, drug resistance, and survival in the environment. Understanding
the switch will help scientists understand how these important traits work.
By connecting individual genes to clinically and epidemiologically important traits, SBRI researchers will identify ways to improve risk assessment and treatment of MAC infections. |
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Developed a "pre-RNA"-based method for
assessing the viability of bacterial pathogens detected in environmental
samples by molecular methods. This method is being applied to contaminants
of drinking water, including MAC and Aeromonas hydrophila. |
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Collaborated with biotech companies to develop improved technologies for TB diagnosis and molecular epidemiology. These technologies are designed to be sensitive, specific, and low in cost, so that they can be used in resource-poor settings where TB is especially problematic. |
Collaborations
* Seattle-King County Department of Public Health
* EPA
* PATH
* Montana State University
* Foundation for
Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND)
The US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and the Foundation for Innovative New
Diagnostics (FIND) currently provide support for Dr. Cangelosi’s research.
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