T-follicular Helper Cell Subsets That Induce Protective Anti-Plasmodium Falciparum Antibodies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,262.00
Summary
Malaria claims at least half a million lives each year, the majority of them in children under the age of 5 years. In order to development effective vaccines malaria it is critically important that we increase our understanding of the key mechanisms governing the induction of protective immune responses in naturally exposed populations. This project will examine the role of one important cell subset - T-follicular helper cells - in the development of immunity against malaria.
Multistage Vaccines For The Prevention Of Tuberculosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$884,290.00
Summary
Almost two million people die from tuberculosis (TB) each year. The current vaccine, BCG, is ineffective at controlling TB and the type of immune response needed to protect against the disease is poorly understood. We have discovered new antigens of the TB bacterium, and we will combine them with novel delivery strategies to develop new TB vaccines. We will also determine the type of immune response needed to protect against TB, which will aid progression of vaccines into clinical trials.
Delayed Loss Of Acoustic Hearing After Cochlear Implantation: Mechanisms And Clinical Identification With New Cochlear Implant Technology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,040,157.00
Summary
Natural hearing can be combined with a cochlear implant to improve sound quality and speech understanding. However, natural hearing frequently deteriorates weeks to months after cochlear implantation. This seems to occur when cochlear fluid buildup (hydrops) or fibrosis within the inner ear disrupts cochlear mechanics. We plan to monitor these processes in patients by recording directly from the cochlear implant, and conduct laboratory experiments to find therapies to alleviate their effects.
Nanoengineered Drug Delivery To The Inner Ear To Prevent Progressive Hearing Loss
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$479,056.00
Summary
Hearing loss is a common sensory deficit and can get progressively worse over time, eventually requiring a cochlear implant. In this project we will examine the effectiveness of a new technique that uses nanoengineered particles to provide long term and controlled delivery of drugs in order to prevent progressive hearing loss and protect residual hearing following cochlear implantation. We will develop the next generation of nanotechnology to enhance drug delivery in pathological ears.
FluMum: A Prospective Cohort Study Of Mother-infant Pairs Assessing The Effectiveness Of Maternal Influenza Vaccination In Prevention Of Influenza In Early Infancy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,598,377.00
Summary
Influenza is a serious illness for young babies. Currently there are no vaccines that can be given to babies under 6 months of age to protect them from infection. This study aims to determine whether influenza vaccine given in pregnancy can prevent infection in babies up to 6 months of age.
This project will assess new ways to protect against HIV infection and treat HIV infection using potent antibody therapies. This will help us understand how the immune system can control HIV. We will generate antibody fragments that can be produced relatively cheaply that, if successful, could lead to a viable antibody therapy for HIV.
Virus Vaccines That Ensure Preparedness Against Future Public Health Emergencies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$862,061.00
Summary
In this proposal, we will utilize novel technology we have developed (the molecular clamp) to generate candidate subunit vaccines and therapeutic antibody treatments against four highly pathogenic viruses identified by the World Health Organization as requiring urgent R&D to prepare for future epidemics; Ebola virus, Middle East Respiratory Coronavirus, Nipah virus and Lassa fever virus. Resulting vaccines are expected to provide advantages including safety, efficacy, and thermal stability.
New Candidate Vaccines To Prevent Tuberculosis: Preclinical Assessment Of Efficacy, Safety And Mechanism Of Protection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,133.00
Summary
Almost two million people die from tuberculosis (TB) each year. The curent vaccine, BCG, is ineffective at controlling TB and and the type of immune response needed to protect against the disease is poorly understood. We have discovered new antigens of the TB bacterium, and we will combine them with our innovative vaccine technology to develop new vaccines to control TB. We will also try and understand why BCG is not effective, and use this information to further improve TB vaccination.
Do ‘classical’ Or ‘oxidative’ UVR-induced DNA Adducts Drive Melanoma Induction After Ultraviolet Radiation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,757.00
Summary
There is debate about the mechanisms by which sun exposure influences melanoma development. This leads to difficulties in formulating adequate sunscreens and guidelines for safe levels of exposure. We will elucidate the critical UV-induced DNA adducts that are necessary for MM development. This will introduce experimental evidence into the debate about sun exposure and melanoma. The use of post sunburn creams containing enzymes which rapidly remove the dangerous DNA adducts will be indicated.
Uncovering The Epigenetic Landscape That Regulates Human Transcriptional Memory
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$708,208.00
Summary
The ‘T cells’ in our bodies develop a memory of previous infections so that we do not become ill from them again. However, we do not fully understand how this memory works and it fails as we get old. We will use cutting-edge techniques to examine the detailed molecular wiring that ‘remembers’ viruses and see how it changes over time. This is hoped to facilitate the design of new age-specific vaccines and drugs and promote a more personalised approach to preventing and treating immune diseases.