Mucosal Human Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccine Late Pre-clinical Evaluation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$575,315.00
Summary
Despite many candidate vaccines entering clinical development for protection against HIV, none has yet been successful. This proposal centres on late preclinical development for a novel mucosal vaccine strategy for HIV, which combines a preclinically-proven approach to generating strong T cell immune responses, with an existing approach to generating broadly neutralising antibody responses to HIV. Proof of synergy between these approaches will lead directly to clinical development.
Viruses are considered neither live nor dead, and it is understood that biological process within a virus must occur after it infects a cell. Our work reveals a previous unknown step in HIV known as pre-entry priming. These discoveries challenge our current dogma of how viruses function, and imply this pre-entry priming process is a built in mechanism for HIV to protect itself. This proposal will redefine our understanding of HIV and explore novel HIV vaccine design through these discoveries.
Elucidation Of Immune Mechanisms Underlying HSV Vaccine Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$573,993.00
Summary
HSV-1 and -2 causes genital herpes, cold sores, encephalitis, potential fatal neonatal herpes, keratitis and blindness as well as severe disease in transplant patients. HSV infection also enhances the acquisition of HIV by 2-3 fold. Investigating the mechanism of immune response to HSV infection or components of HSV will assist in understanding immune control of HSV, HSV vaccine development, and assist in reducing in HIV spread.
Hepatitis C Vaccines: Preclinical To Clinical Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$474,244.00
Summary
Hepatitis C is one of the most common notifiable infectious diseases in Australia with 200,000 infected individuals and 10,000 new infections each year. Treatments currently available for hepatitis C are effective but also associated with significant side effects and expensive. The economic and health burden of hepatitis C infection and the high costs of emerging antiviral therapies makes the development of an effective vaccine for HCV imperative. This project aims to develop a vaccine for the p ....Hepatitis C is one of the most common notifiable infectious diseases in Australia with 200,000 infected individuals and 10,000 new infections each year. Treatments currently available for hepatitis C are effective but also associated with significant side effects and expensive. The economic and health burden of hepatitis C infection and the high costs of emerging antiviral therapies makes the development of an effective vaccine for HCV imperative. This project aims to develop a vaccine for the prevention of hepatitis C infection.Read moreRead less
Addressing The Major Challenges In HIV Vaccine And Cure Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$16,136,755.00
Summary
HIV remains one of the defining global health challenge of our times. 37 million people are living with HIV with 2 million new infections each year. Despite advances in management of HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy, there is still no cure, no effective vaccine, and several co-infections reduce life expectancy. This program assembles Australia’s leading HIV researchers to use innovative basic and translational science to tackle priority areas in controlling the HIV epidemic.
Novel HIV-1 Glycoprotein Vaccines With Enhanced Presentation Of Broad Neutralization Epitopes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,682.00
Summary
A prophylactic vaccine represents the best strategy for blocking HIV-1 transmission but one is not yet available. Current antiviral vaccines rely on neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) that block infection, however, current HIV-1 vaccine formulations do not induce broadly reactive NAbs (bNAbs). We have discovered a novel HIV-1 glycoprotein vaccination candidate with enhanced presentation of bNAb epitopes. We propose to determine if this vaccine induces effective bNAbs in experimental animals.
Needle Free Delivery Of Dengue And Zika Vaccines To The Skin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$642,792.00
Summary
There is no Zika vaccine and only one licensed dengue vaccine, which is age and region restricted because of poor efficacy. We have developed safe subunit vaccine candidates capable of inducing potent virus neutralizing antibodies and demonstrated protection from lethal dengue challenge in a mouse model. Here we are partnering with Vaxxas to undertake preclinical development and GLP toxicity trials for microarray patches delivering dengue and zika virus subunit vaccines.
A Universal Prophylactic Vaccine For Hepatitis C Virus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$643,337.00
Summary
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infects 200 million people world wide. An effective vaccine to prevent HCV is urgently needed but must afford protection against the 7 diverse genotypes. In this project grant we aim to further define the quality of the immune response that is generated by a novel HCV vaccine candidate that generates pan-genotypic immunity, its unique structural features, and methods of manufacturing so that it can be tested in a future phase I human clinical trial.
Prophylactic Vaccine Development For The Elimination Of Hepatitis C
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$936,752.00
Summary
A vaccine that prevents Hepatitis C is urgently needed to prevent infection and assist with global HCV elimination targets. This project grant will advance world-leading HCV vaccine candidates that generate both humoral and cellular immunity for clinical development.