The Turing Foundation aims at the elimination of leprosy as a disfiguring disease.
Leprosy is a cruel, disfiguring disease which strikes almost exclusively the poorest of the poor
(to such extent that people in richer countries are often unaware that the disease still exists).
Its victims hardly ever die as a result of it, but leprosy often leads to loss of hands or feet or loss of sight.
Leprosy has an incubation period of many years.
A key challenge is to detect the disease in an early stage and to treat it before
it infects others and before nerve damages have become irreparable.
The Turing Foundation focuses on scientific research in the area of diagnostics and treatment of leprosy.
More information on submitting applications can be found in our
application procedures.
Below, you will find an overview of the most important initiatives that we have previously supported.
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Most recent projects:
July 2010 |
Research on immunopathology of leprosy 2010
The leprosy bacterium has a high affinity for Schwann cells - cells that form a protective layer around nerves... more
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January 2010 |
Research on treatment of early neuropathy in leprosy 2010-2013
The TENLEP Research Consortium (Treatment of Early Neuropathy in Leprosy) is a large international association in... more
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January 2010 |
Research on identification of innate and adaptive immune biomarkers 2010-2013
This LUMC (Leiden University Medical Centre) research gives more insight into certain immune... more
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January 2010 |
Research on impact of preventive interventions on the transmission of M. Leprae, 2010
The Erasmus University of Rotterdam and the KIT (Royal Tropical Institute) are together doing... more
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October 2009 |
Main Supporter IDEAL consortium (Initiative for Diagnostic and Epidemiological Assays for Leprosy) 2009-2010
This consortium of thirty Leprosy research groups will develop immunological tests in the coming years... more
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Project Overview on World Map
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Scientific Research
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Research on immunopathology of leprosy 2010
Leprosy is a contagious disease, caused by infection with a bacterium. This bacterium has a great affinity for,
amongst others, Schwann cells - cells that form a protective layer around peripheral nerves. A team of the
Leiden University Medical Centre
conducts scientific research in order to gain a deeper insight into the processes that can lead to damages to Schwann cells and nerves - and to the related lifetime handicaps.
For some time now, an effective antibiotics cocktail treatment of the infection is possible. Some patients however show strong immune reactions to this treatment, which then still lead to irreparable nerve damages.
It is assumed that a leprosy bacterium within a Schwann cell is sometimes destroyed, and that small fragments (peptides) of this bacterium are presented by the Schwann cell to T-cells (defence cells). In certain circumstances, these T-lymphocytes can damage or even kill the Schwann cell. It is possible that this is one of the mechanisms involved in causing nerve damages as a result of leprosy. The LUMC-researchers think - on the basis of models originating from research on mice - that certain types of T-cells are important links in the process, but their exact nature and operations are as yet insufficiently known. The research focuses on thrashing out these immuno-pathological mechanisms, in hopes that the results can be used to develop new strategies for forecasting, tracing and preventing nerve damages as a result of leprosy.
The Turing Foundation contributes € 337,500 to this research, of which 75.000 in 2010.
see also:
Meer geld voor lepra onderzoek (Leprastichting)
Turing Foundation financiert lepra-onderzoek in Leiden
LUMC: other projects
"Immunopathology of leprosy: dissecting mechanisms of immune-mediated tissue damage in leprosy, and identification of new targets for intervention"
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Research on treatment of early neuropathy in leprosy 2010-2013
The TENLEP Research Consortium (Treatment of Early Neuropathy in Leprosy) is a large international association in which 14 researchers from renowned research institutes all over the world work together, combining their expertise in the field of leprosy-related inflammation of the nerves.
TENLEP Trial is a large-scale research project focussing on nerve damage caused by leprosy. Its central research questions are:
1. To what extent can treatment of sub-clinical nerve damage reduce the number of patients with permanent nerve function impairments?
2. What is the most effective treatment for patients who have a clinical nerve function impairments?
A random double blind research method was designed to find the answers to these questions, including two integrated trials. In these trials, a corticosteroid treatment of sub-clinical nerve damage will be tested (during sixteen weeks and six months). Dependent on the type of nerve damage, patients will participate in one of the two trials. Subsequently, all patients will be categorized randomly into a group getting treatment and a group receiving a placebo. The effect of the leprosy treatment will be measured within 6, 12, and 18 months after it has started. Various advanced electronic devices, measuring factors such as nerve conductivity and sense of temperature, will be used to monitor the effect of treatment as meticulously as possible. Apart from that, the measuring will be done by means of an activity scale. A comparison between the results of the groups getting either treatment or a placebo must make clear which type of treatment reduces the risk of permanent nerve damage as much as possible. The research will be conducted in the Netherlands, England and the largest leprosy endemic countries (Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Brasil and Ethiopia).
The Turing Foundation contributes € 800,000 to this research project between 2009 and 2013 (approx. 50% of the total research budget).
mycobacterium leprae
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Research on identification of innate and adaptive immune biomarkers 2010-2013
This LUMC (Leiden University Medical Centre) research gives more insight into certain immune pathological mechanisms. These new insights will shed light on the immunopathogenesis of leprosy and the leprosy reactions that lead to nerve damage. In such way strategies can be developed for the prevention and detection of nerve damage caused by leprosy.
Techniques for detecting and diagnosing leprosy in an early stage are of great importance for the prevention of nerve damage. To enable the early diagnoses and prediction of certain reactions, the LUMC research aims to gain more insight into the role different cell types - such as macrophages and T-cells (which have many different sub sets) and the signal substance they produce (such as cytokines)- play in the development of nerve damage in case of leprosy and leprosy reactions.
The LUMC research team is able to isolate and generate various types of these (new) human cellular sub sets, making it possible to study the processes that can lead to nerve damage elaborately. LUMC's theory is that the activation of certain cell types, such as the T-cells that play a role in inflammation diseases (so-called th17 cells) is a main element in this process. Too little is now known about the exact nature and working of these mechanisms, cell types and factors in the human body.
The Turing Foundation contributes a sum of € 260,000 (50%) to the costs of the research, which will run from 2010 to 2013.
see also:
LUMC: other projects
immune biomarkers
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Research on impact of preventive interventions on the transmission of M. Leprae, 2010
The Erasmus University of Rotterdam and the KIT (Royal Tropical Institute) are together doing research into the transmission of the leprosy bacteria and the effects of prophylactic treatments.
Prophylactic treatment means that antibiotics are administered to people who do not (yet) suffer from leprosy. This can be compared to the prevention of malaria in travellers by prescribing medicine. In 2001, a research project started into the effects of prophylactic treatment of leprosy contacts on leprosy prevention. It is conducted in North Western Bangladesh. In the past six years all new leprosy cases, whether in- our outside the patient contact group, have been traced. It has been examined whether rifampicin leprosy occurred among the contact group. This appeared to be the case and even more so if the prophylactic treatment was combined with a BCG vaccine - which is today a standard vaccination for most children in the first year of their lives. During the current one year project, the research team aims, on the basis of information already available, to answer several questions related to the transmission of the leprosy bacteria and the success of prophylactic treatment.
The Turing Foundation pays 50% (€ 40,000) of the research costs of this project, which will take one year.
mycobacterium leprae
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Main Supporter IDEAL consortium (Initiative for Diagnostic and Epidemiological Assays for Leprosy) 2009-2010
The IDEAL consortium (Initiative for Diagnostic and Epidemiological Assays for Leprosy) consists of thirty Leprosy research groups, half of which is established in countries where leprosy still occurs. All research groups have a background in laboratory research and/or research involving patients in the field. All major research groups in the world engaged in this branch of leprosy research are members of IDEAL.
The IDEAL consortium is oriented towards the development of immunological tests that can detect leprosy infections in an early stage. Apart from that, molecular tests are developed for gaining a better insight into the transmission of the leprosy bacterium. The ultimate goal is to find tests that can help prevent leprosy infections by the very early (before the illness has even manifested itself) diagnosis and treatment of leprosy.
The partners discuss the results of experiments, exchange experiences and information, provide materials and protocols from individual research projects and perform experiments after mutual consultation and in accordance with a testing format agreed upon. This streamlines and accelerates the research process, and yields quicker results for leprosy elimination.
Since the end of 2005, IDEAL has selected several candidates for both early diagnostics and transmission studies. A test will be developed between 2008 and 2010 that can critically identify leprosy infections in blood, and efforts will be made to enable the further identification of genetic markers on the leprosy bacterium. The markers can be used in transmission studies.
After 2010, IDEAL aims to start a large-scale research project on leprosy prevention through (tailor-made) prophylactic treatment of leper contacts.
The Turing Foundation contributes € 163,000 to this project in 2009.
In total, the Turing Foundation contributes
€ 644,000 in the coming years
(approx. 60% of the total project cost)
towards the development of the above-mentioned tests.
IDEAL - Initiative for Diagnostic and Epidemiological Assays for Leprosy
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Research on immunopathology of leprosy 2009
Leprosy is a contagious disease, caused by infection with a bacterium. This bacterium has a great affinity for,
amongst others, Schwann cells - cells that form a protective layer around peripheral nerves. A team of the
Leiden University Medical Centre
conducts scientific research in order to gain a deeper insight into the processes that can lead to damages to Schwann cells and nerves - and to the related lifetime handicaps.
For some time now, an effective antibiotics cocktail treatment of the infection is possible. Some patients however show strong immune reactions to this treatment, which then still lead to irreparable nerve damages.
It is assumed that a leprosy bacterium within a Schwann cell is sometimes destroyed, and that small fragments (peptides) of this bacterium are presented by the Schwann cell to T-cells (defence cells). In certain circumstances, these T-lymphocytes can damage or even kill the Schwann cell. It is possible that this is one of the mechanisms involved in causing nerve damages as a result of leprosy. The LUMC-researchers think - on the basis of models originating from research on mice - that certain types of T-cells are important links in the process, but their exact nature and operations are as yet insufficiently known. The research focuses on thrashing out these immuno-pathological mechanisms, in hopes that the results can be used to develop new strategies for forecasting, tracing and preventing nerve damages as a result of leprosy.
The Turing Foundation contributes € 337,500 to this research, that is to be concluded in 2010.
see also:
Meer geld voor lepra onderzoek (Leprastichting)
Turing Foundation financiert lepra-onderzoek in Leiden
LUMC: other projects
"Immunopathology of leprosy: dissecting mechanisms of immune-mediated tissue damage in leprosy, and identification of new targets for intervention"
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more leprosy projects...
Field Projects Leprosy Control, Cambodia 2009
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Field Projects Leprosy Control, Laos 2009
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Projects to cure leprosy 2007
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€1.000.000,- for the Dutch Leprosy Foundation
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