Tropical Disease - Immunity, Pathogenesis And Vaccine Development: Global Translation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$17,988,456.00
Summary
Tropical diseases create a significant human and economic burden worldwide - particularly in resource-poor settings. Around half of the world's population is at risk of malaria. In Australia, Streptococcal and parasitic worm infections are particularly common in indigenous communities. This Program brings together leading experts to tackle these major health challenges. They are investigating how the body reacts to infection and creating new drugs and vaccines to eradicate these diseases.
Antigens, Allergens And Immune Responses In Normal And Crusted Scabies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$302,036.00
Summary
Scabies (itch mite), a parasitic skin infestation of the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, is a major problem among most children in many Aboriginal communities in Australia, often accompanied by streptococcal infections which cause serious diseases. Our world-first molecular studies utilised variable microsatellite markers to demonstrate that scabies mites on people are genetically distinct from those on dogs. This has important implications in control programs in Aboriginal communities. In our current N ....Scabies (itch mite), a parasitic skin infestation of the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, is a major problem among most children in many Aboriginal communities in Australia, often accompanied by streptococcal infections which cause serious diseases. Our world-first molecular studies utilised variable microsatellite markers to demonstrate that scabies mites on people are genetically distinct from those on dogs. This has important implications in control programs in Aboriginal communities. In our current NHMRC program we have cloned scabies antigens, with the aim of understanding more about immunity, which normally limits infestation from developing to the extreme levels seen in the debilitating disease crusted scabies. Our hypothesis is that crusted scabies is the consequence of an immune deficit in these patients. The first such cloned antigen is the equivalent of a known asthma-inducing allergen from a closely related housedust mite. We seek support to continue this successful program and to extend it to search for candidate vaccine antigens.The development of a vaccine would be a step of major importance in prevention. Recent reports estimate up to 300 million scabies cases worldwide, commonly associated with overcrowding and poverty. We are the first laboratory worldwide to have successfully initiated molecular studies on scabies. We have formed close collaborations with the only laboratory with an animal model (Arlian, USA), and the best group working on epidemiology and control of human scabies (Taplin, USA) and co-published with these groups. It is imperative that our NHMRC support be continued and increased to a level compatible with the importance, potential and achievements so far of this unique program.Read moreRead less
Advanced Population-based Methods To Evaluate And Inform Immunisation Policy And Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,048.00
Summary
Despite the overall success of immunisation programs, preventable infections continue to occur, with Aboriginal children suffering the most. I will study the health and vaccination records for 1.95 million children (98,000 Aboriginal) in New South Wales and Western Australia to see who is most at risk of vaccine preventable infections and why. The findings will aid development of strategies to target high-risk children and to optimise the benefits obtained from Australia’s immunisation program.
Enabling Technologies For Design And Delivery Of Novel Vaccines Against Infectious Diseases And Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$925,346.00
Summary
This grant will support research necessary to develop the next generation of vaccines. These will combat diseases caused by bacteria and viruses and can also be used to fight cancer. The broad range of application is made possible through the incorporation of simple molecular features that activate the immune system. The intellectual property that has been developed is protected by a patent portfolio some patents of which are already licenced to the pharmaceutical industry.
Enhancing Australia's Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Output By Increasing The Yeild Of Vaccine From Eggs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$251,517.00
Summary
Influenza epidemics cause significant morbidity and mortality, particularly amongst the young and elderly. Unlike other vaccines, a new flu vaccine formulation needs to be prepared each year from the currently circulating strain. This involves a long process of preparing new seed vaccine stock, which is then tested, manufactured and distributed. The situation is even more complicated by the ability of different influenza strains to reassort with others. An example of current major concern is the ....Influenza epidemics cause significant morbidity and mortality, particularly amongst the young and elderly. Unlike other vaccines, a new flu vaccine formulation needs to be prepared each year from the currently circulating strain. This involves a long process of preparing new seed vaccine stock, which is then tested, manufactured and distributed. The situation is even more complicated by the ability of different influenza strains to reassort with others. An example of current major concern is the possibility of deadly avian flu viruses, such as H5N1, to gain the capacity to directly infect humans by recombining with a human strain and thereby starting a new global pandemic. When the next influenza pandemic occurs, the availability of a vaccine will be of the highest priority and early supply of vaccines will save millions of lives. Since vaccination is the only sustainable defense, we face an urgent need to have the capacity to supply large numbers of vaccine doses of influenza vaccines within a short period of time. Currently, the only way of producing flu vaccines is in eggs. The speed of vaccine supply is totally dependant on the yield of vaccine from eggs and the number of eggs that can be processed at any one time. Since there are severe constraints on the number of eggs that can be simultaneously processed, the limiting factor that can be addressed is the actual yield of vaccine per egg. The aim of this project is the develop methods that allow higher levels of vaccine virus to grow in eggs. We will take a multi-pronged approach to enhancing influenza vaccine production that are directed toward increasing the capacity of eggs to promote virus replication, as well as towards the vaccine strain to boost its ability to replicate in the egg. The outcome will be an enhanced capacity for vaccine manufacturers to quickly and effectively expand vaccine supplies which will directly impact on global morbidity and mortality during a flu pandemic.Read moreRead less
Dengue Fever Vaccine: Towards Low Cost Production And Delivery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$612,039.00
Summary
With rising populations and a warming climate mosquito borne viral diseases will become more prevalent and low-cost vaccine production & delivery systems will become increasingly important. Here a microalgae based vaccine production platform will be coupled to proven Nanopatch & low cost oral vaccine delivery. The focus is on a Dengue virus vaccine, as Dengue causes 400 million infections & 100 million symptomatic cases annually.
A Serotype-independent, Broad Spectrum Pneumococcal Vaccine
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$955,585.00
Summary
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is the world’s most formidable bacterial pathogen, causing 1-2 million deaths each year. Existing vaccines provide protection against only a limited proportion of strains and their widespread use is increasing the prevalence of strains against which the vaccines provide no protection. This project aims to translate a novel broadly protective pneumococcal vaccine into the commercial development pipeline.
Vaccine To Prevent Influenza Virus And Bacterial Super-infection.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$707,717.00
Summary
Influenza viruses have the ability to pre-dispose infected hosts toward secondary bacterial complications. The mortality of viral infections that are complicated by a concurrent, or subsequent, bacterial infection (known as a super-infection), is often greater than that of either the virus or the bacteria alone. We will develop a novel multi-pathogen vaccine candidate against the major upper respiratory tract pathogens - Influenza A and Streptococcus pyogenes to prevent super-infections.
Optimising Immunity Towards Cancers By Vaccination.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$211,320.00
Summary
In this project we will be studying the mechanisms of how an efficient anti cancer vaccine could be generated. We will be using cervical cancer associated human papillomavirus type 16 E7 protein as the model protein in an experimental vaccine model in mice. The results obtained from this project not only able us to design better vaccines against cervical cancers in women but against many other cancers and viruses.