title: Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis challenges in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Iran (MATI): a collaborative attempt to combat the disease.
abstract: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a main public health problem in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Iran, known as the MATI region. During the biennial meeting of Pasteur Institutes of the MATI region in November 2016 in Tehran, a Leishmania panel formed of scientists with different expertise in CL research from the MATI and Institut Pasteur in Paris, proposed a new consortium to develop an integrative research approach to better understand this disease. The proposed consortium synergizes three complementary thematics on Leishmania genetics, host immune response, and vector transmission. Moreover, assessing the social impact of CL with the aim to raise awareness at both the national and international levels will be a major focus of this consortium.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Immunology , Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Fariborz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bahrami
authors.affiliation: b Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors , Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201 , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Späth
authors.affiliation: c Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research , Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Sima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rafati
mesh_terms: D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000453:epidemiology; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Algeria; Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Institut Pasteur International Network (IPIN); Iran (MATI); MATI regional meeting; Morocco; Pasteur Institute of Iran; Tunisia