Aresha Manamperi

Towards an Ecology of Collective Innovation: Human Variome Project (HVP), Rare Disease Consortium for Autosomal Loci (RaDiCAL) and Data-Enabled Life Sciences Alliance (DELSA).

The Millennium Summit in 2000 established the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were agreed upon by 193 countries and 23 international organizations to combat extreme poverty and other pressing global priorities for human development. In the December 2011 issue of CPPM, Borda-Rodriguez and Huzair present an analysis of the close ties and synergies among the MDGs, pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. Notably, MDGs promote the creation of collective innovation, a concept with both substantive and instrumental pertinence for the personalized medicine R&D that is currently undergoing rapid globalization. The ethos for collective innovation in global health is also embodied in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, endorsed in 2005 by more than 100 signatories, including donor and developing country governments, regional development banks and international aid agencies.

Asia-Pacific Health 2020 and Genomics without Borders: Co-Production of Knowledge by Science and Society Partnership for Global Personalized Medicine

Is Asia-Pacific emerging as a leader in genome-based personalized medicine in 21st century? With news of senior “star” scientists from North America and Europe relocating to, or establishing satellite outpost laboratories in the Asia-Pacific region, this question has become topical among sci-entists, research funding agencies as well as investors in global health and knowledge-based innovations. In addition to attracting established scientists, the Asia-Pacific is ac-tively investing in a young generation of skilled profession-als. Based on the annual

Subclinical mucosal inflammation in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in a tropical setting

Abstract Background and aims. There is evidence for low-grade inflammation in the pathophysiology of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We assessed the degree of subclinical intestinal mucosal inflammation in diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) in a tropical setting. Material and methods. In a prospective study over 1 year, we investigated 49 patients with IBS-D (cases; median age 34 years (range 18–59); M:F 36:13), diagnosed on Rome III criteria. 14 individuals with a family history of colon cancer (median age 46.5 years (range 23–56); M:F 6:8) were selected as controls. Stools of cases and controls were tested for calprotectin. During colonoileoscopy, serial biopsies were obtained. Mucosal mast cells, neutrophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes/plasma cell infiltrate were quantified. Tissue expression of IL-8 and IL-10 was assessed in biopsies by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Results. A history suggestive of an episode of infectious diarrhea (ID) was present in 16/49 cases and 0/14 controls (p = 0.013). In cases, there were significantly more mucosal mast cells in the ileum and all segments of colon and significantly more eosinophils in the cecum. Tissue expression of IL-8 was significantly higher and IL-10 significantly lower in cases compared with controls (target/standard cDNA ratio, median (range) IL-8: 1.25 (0.75–2) vs. 0.85 (0.63–1.3), p < 0.0001, Mann–Whitney U test; IL-10: 0.33 (0–0.63) vs. 0.55 (0.5–0.7), p < 0.0001). There was a significant inverse correlation between IL-8 and IL-10 expression (Pearson correlation, (-) 0.509; p < 0.01). Conclusion. There was evidence of subclinical intestinal mucosal inflammation in patients with IBS-D. The finding of increased eosinophils is novel, and may be of special relevance to IBS-D in the tropics.

RNA positivity rates among anti-HCV reactive blood donors in Sri Lanka: A preliminary study

Since details of sexual practices was not sought in this study, any association with MSM practices could not be ascertained. However, sexual abuse of children is common in Pakistan. According to a report from the Coalition on Child Rights (1998), Pakistan has the dubious distinction of having a large number of boys and young males who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation.[6] Whether child sex abuse is an important factor in the emergence of syphilis in young males in Pakistan is a question that needs to be answered.

Current developments in genomics and personalized health care: impact on public health.

The knowledge gained from the characterization of genomes, especially the human genome, holds considerable potential for the development of new health care innovations for prevention, diagnosis, and management of many diseases in the coming decade. However, owing to the presence of highly complex scientific, economic, social, and ethical issues associated with this field, societies will need to be better prepared for the era of postgenomics and its consequences. It is important to ensure that the benefits of genomics are distributed fairly among all the countries of the world and that the well-tried and more conventional approaches to medical research and practice are not neglected while the medical potential of genomics is being explored. In this report, the author focuses mainly on human genomics, its applications, development of related technologies and issues related to the dissemination of knowledge derived from genome information, and finally, their impact on global health care.

Evaluation of PCR-ELISA as a tool for monitoring transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti in District of Gampaha, Sri Lanka

Objective To compare Wuchereria bancrofti (W. bancrofti) infection rates of Culex quinquefasciatus, using dissection and PCR-ELISA in two consecutive time periods (from 2007 to 2008 and from 2008 to 2009).

Capacity Building in Genomics Medicine and Molecular Diagnostics: The Case of Sri Lanka

In this paper, we advance the extant health technology innovation frames on global personalized medicine by highlighting the need to rethink genomics medicine in real-life settings – including situations where populations are frequently faced with natural disasters or man-made conflicts. We identify the steps towards building sufficient capacity to effectively harness and integrate genomic medicine and molecular diagnostics in order to benefit global society including those in resource-limited settings and post-war capacity building contexts. Surprisingly, despite a great number of populations currently living in developing countries, including in a state of post-war or conflict resolution context, the public health pharmacogenomics community has largely neglected this crucial dimension in biomedical literature. By exploring the particular case of Sri-Lanka in this paper, we are able to investigate the obstacles commonly faced by low and middle income countries similarly afflicted by crises, natural disasters, conflict and the need for improved, more cost effective health care. Sri Lanka has a relatively strong platform for launching molecular diagnostic technology, including a well networked set of primary, secondary and tertiary care institutions, a small but burgeoning private health and research sector and a strong science base in its universities. Despite this, there has been slow uptake and exploitation of novel molecular diagnostics due to various factors such as a weak regulatory framework and high costs associated with the import of molecular reagents and import and maintenance of equipment. In summary, as a way forward for health technology assessment in resource-limited countries, this paper brings to the fore an integrated discourse on real-life experiences and putative solutions on genomics and molecular diagnostic medicine. For a comprehensive discussion in the nascent field of public health pharmacogenomics, post-war and post-conflict capacity building on biotechnologies such as genomics is essential.

T1824 Sub Clinical Intestinal Mucosal Inflammation in Diarrhea Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in a Tropical Setting

AGA Poster Session Abstract (T1824) Digestive Disease Week (DDW), May 1- 5, 2010, New Orleans, LA