Center Takes Aim at Infectious Diseases

Millions of people every year contract HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. These killers, plus a dozen other neglected diseases, place a terrible medical burden upon developing nations. Yet vaccines and treatments for many of these diseases do not exist. UC Berkeley is stepping into the breach with the Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases (CEND). Launched this May, the Center aims to bring together innovative ideas and patient treatments.

A Fairer Fight Against Pathogens

Prof. Daniel Portnoy's studies of mutant listeria strains are revealing how intracellular pathogens interact with the immune system. His findings are leading to new insights into the infection process and the development of vaccines against diseases such as cancer. Because they are targeted directly at cancer cells, these treatments promise to cause fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapies.

Tracing Evolution in Genes

How do humans differ from chimpanzees? Prof. Rasmus Nielsen uses the power of statistics and computing to compare the DNA of different species. By identifying which sets of genes have mutated, he can describe how ancestral populations diverged from each other step by tiny genetic step. His work not only recasts the story of human evolution but promises to uncover the genetic roots of many diseases.

CEND scientists will take on tough diseases like HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.