Research Programme for Skin-related Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

The Dioraphte Foundation supports translational and clinical experimental research that underpins the understanding of pathophysiology and pathogenesis of Skin-related NTDs.

1. Immunological, pathological, and metabolic mechanisms of infection and disease progression, including host–pathogen interactions, that can inform the development or optimization of diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines, as well as identify biomarkers for disease detection, prognosis, and treatment response.
2. Development and validation of improved experimental, clinical, and population-based models of Skin NTDs, including in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological approaches, to better understand disease dynamics and support the evaluation of new or existing diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventive strategies.
3. Innovative approaches to the discovery, development, evaluation, and implementation of diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines, including repurposing strategies, point-of-care technologies, digital health tools, and integrated skin-based approaches that facilitate early detection, case management, and surveillance in endemic settings.
4. Characterization of disease presentation and underlying biological variability in diverse endemic populations, including genetic, immunological, environmental, and social determinants, to inform the development of context-adapted and equitable diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies.
5. Role of the skin microbiome, coinfections, and comorbidities in disease susceptibility, progression, and treatment outcomes, including their implications for integrated clinical management and public health interventions.
6. Clinical research to improve patient management and outcomes, including studies on treatment efficacy, safety, adherence, and optimization of therapeutic regimens, as well as the evaluation of integrated care pathways for multiple Skin NTDs.

(vii) Operational and implementation research to strengthen delivery of interventions, including access to diagnosis and care, health system integration, community engagement, stigma reduction, and evaluation of scalable, cost-effective strategies for control and elimination of Skin NTDs.