Stability Engineering Of Human Antibody Therapeutics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,104.00
Summary
Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are among the fastest growing class of drugs with more than $30 billion sales in 2011. Unfortunately, antibodies often display limited stability and a tendency to aggregate. This greatly hinders their development and results in high failure rates of otherwise promising candidates. We have recently identified mutations that render human antibodies resistant to aggregation. Here we apply this technology to a monoclonal antibody candidate developed by a leading pha ....Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are among the fastest growing class of drugs with more than $30 billion sales in 2011. Unfortunately, antibodies often display limited stability and a tendency to aggregate. This greatly hinders their development and results in high failure rates of otherwise promising candidates. We have recently identified mutations that render human antibodies resistant to aggregation. Here we apply this technology to a monoclonal antibody candidate developed by a leading pharmaceutical company.Read moreRead less
Preclinical Development Of A Therapeutic Anticancer Antibody To C-Met
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$435,530.00
Summary
Many common cancers cannot be effectively treated. A range of these cancers (e.g. gastric and lung cancer) display the molecule c-Met on their cell surface. c-Met promotes tumour growth; therefore, blocking c-Met is a promising strategy for treating these cancers. However, no antibodies or drugs that target c-Met have been licensed. The therapeutics that are being developed to target c-Met all have considerable limitations. Thus, there is an opportunity to develop a 'best-in-class' therapeutic.
Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT): Further Characterization Of Disease Mechanism Will Improve Patient Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,484.00
Summary
Thrombus formation occurs as a side effect of heparin treatment in many patients. This condition is called Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT). The clots may be stabilised by secretions from cells called neutrophils. In this project we will study this possibility using a mouse model of HIT and will explore therapeutic approaches to inhibit clot stabilisation.
New Therapies Requiring Ultra Large Scale Monoclonal Ab Production In Microalgae
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$630,089.00
Summary
Monoclonal antibodies target pathogens and molecules with exquisite specificity, and are essential for therapeutics and diagnostics. They are currently made using high-tech/limited-capacity mammalian cell cultures which limit them to low-dose applications. We aim to enable new, high-dose antibody therapies (e.g. antiviral treatments, passive immunisation) via rapid, low-cost, dramatically larger-scale production of valuable medicinal antibodies in a photosynthetic-driven, green algae system.
SIGN Receptors And The Antiinflammatory Activity Of Sialylated IgG Fcs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Summary
IgG antibodies are a crucial component of the immune system, and significantly contribute to host protection against cancer and infectious diseases. Additionally, therapeutic IgG antibodies have been developed for treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. The studies proposed herein will elucidate one important aspect of how IgG antibodies act as anti-inflammatory agents, and may lead to the design of more effective IgG based therapies for the treatment of inflammatory diseases or cancer.
Development Of A Safer New Treatment For Systemic Lupus Erythematosus That Preserves B Cell Immunity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$672,008.00
Summary
Lupus is an illness characterized by the body’s immune system attacking the body itself. More than 5 millions of people worldwide suffer from lupus, in particular Indigenous Australians who are 4 times more likely to develop lupus. Current treatments are toxic and/or lack efficacy. In this proposal we use strong new evidence from the laboratory to support the design of a much safer and more effective treatment for lupus that will be validated for future use in patients.
There is an unmet medical need to develop new therapies that are safer and potentially allow the treatment of a broader range of cancers. Inhibiting the immune checkpoints TIGIT and CD96 represents an opportunity that may parallel and indeed complement the activity and impact of other lymphocyte checkpoint inhibitors in human cancer (eg. PD1/PD-L1). While testing these as targets in mice we will also learn more about their ligand CD155 and their expression in human tumors.
Monoclonal antibodies, such as the breast cancer therapeutic Herceptin, have revolutionised the treatment of cancer and inflammatory conditions. Will over $30 billion sales in 2011, they have also spawned a growing biotech industry. We have a generated a highly specific monoclonal antibody, which has shown efficacy in models of disease. This project will further advance and develop this monoclonal, allowing us to initiate clinical studies in patients.
Safety Of Hendra Virus Anti-G Glycoprotein Monoclonal Antibody In Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Hendra virus infection in humans is a serious, and often fatal, disease. No cure exists for Hendra infection and existing treatments are ineffective. Recently, a human monoclonal antibody has shown great promise in protecting animals from developing the disease. This project aims to perform preclinical safety testing and a Phase I clinical trial to establish the safety profile of this antibody such that it can be used to prevent Hendra infection in humans exposed to the disease.
Cancer is now the number one killer of Australians and there is an unmet medical need to develop new therapies that are safe and maximize anti-cancer efficacy. Cancer immunotherapy now represents a new fourth pillar in cancer treatment to complement surgery, radiotherapy and chemo-/targeted therapies. This application aims to develop new therapeutic approaches to broaden the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy and potentially allow the treatment of a broader range of cancers and patients.