This research seeks blood-based biomarkers that predict which people infected with Chagas disease will later develop life-threatening cardiomyopathy. By analysing immune proteins in blood samples from Bolivia, it aims to enable earlier diagnosis, targeted monitoring, and preventative treatment, offering a model for predicting and preventing many chronic diseases before irreversible damage occurs.
This research targets the earliest stage of allergic and asthmatic immune reactions by blocking key cytokine “messages” sent from T cells to B cells. Using drug-discovery techniques, the project identifies compounds that prevent immune overreaction before symptoms begin, aiming to develop a new class of long-lasting preventative allergy and asthma treatments.