Host-directed Therapy For Malaria: Host Cell Signalome As A Target
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$898,043.00
Summary
Malaria parasites kill 450,000 children a year and impact on the economic development of communities. Spreading drug resistant malaria parasites within Australia's South-East Asian neighbours creates an urgent and unmet need for new drug treatments. We will characterise host signals required for parasite survival in immature erythrocytes and identify host-directed, ready to develop, resistance-proofed drugs to kill malaria parasites.
The Role Of Host Proteases In Modulating Enteric Infectious Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,267,155.00
Summary
Bacterial pathogens that cause gut diseases result in 2.5 million deaths per year. The gut is a complex environment consisting of numerous factors that must be balanced to maintain enteric health. When these factors are unbalanced, disease can occur, and infections can cause imbalances. This project will increase our understanding of the role that host proteins play in gut infections, providing knowledge critical for developing improved strategies for disease treatment and prevention.
Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal malaria parasite that infect humans. Our work will reveal how this malaria parasite governs host tropism, fertilization and immune evasion by using the 6-cysteine family of proteins which are abundantly expressed on its surface. This proposal will explore novel ways using the smallest types of antibodies, called nanobodies, to block the function of these proteins and therefore prevent malaria infection.
Cells recycle old components using a system called the proteasome. Some people are born without parts of the proteasome, and they suffer from a disease associated with inflammation. We have identified the molecular trigger for this inflammation. Our findings are also relevant for patients being treated with proteasome inhibitors. In some of these diseases, such as lupus, inflammation can be a side-effect of proteasome inhibitor therapy, and we can now reduce this and make the treatments safer.
Structure And Biophysical Analysis Aided Design Of Novel Toxoid Vaccines For A Major Class Of Bacterial Toxins.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$608,425.00
Summary
Inactivated bacterial toxins (toxoids), such as the tetanus vaccine, are safe and effective vaccines. Cholesterol dependent cytolysins (CDCs) are bacterial toxins produced by many important human pathogens including Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and Pneumococcus. GAS has no available vaccine and Pneumococcus does not have a universal vaccine. We have developed a new way of inactivating CDCs based on new knowledge of how they target human cells and will use this knowledge to make new vaccines.
HARNESSING T CELL QUALITY FOR PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$503,146.00
Summary
Developing highly effective vaccines is critical to rapidly combat global pandemics. To generate a protective antibody response against novel viruses, a vaccine must elicit a targeted B cell response supported by effective CD4 T cell help. We propose that existing CD4 T cell memory can be harnessed to rapidly and effectively support B cell responses to novel vaccine candidates. This work will contribute to pandemic preparedness strategies and improve the development pathway for new vaccines.
Biopsychosocial Risk And Protective Factors Of Trauma Exposure In First Responders: A Longitudinal Investigation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,137,427.00
Summary
Investigating individual differences in response to stress is crucial to improving both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for individuals at high risk for exposure to trauma. This world-first project will investigate pre and post-trauma psychological and biological trajectories associated with health outcomes in first-responders, contributing significantly towards our fundamental understanding of the biology of risk and resilience to trauma exposure, a key health issue.
Targeting Antimicrobial Resistance And Host Immune Evasion In Staphylococcus Aureus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$892,831.00
Summary
This project aims to show how one of the most important human superbugs, Staphylococcus aureus (Golden staph), develops resistance to one of our most important last-line antibiotics and the immune system to cause life-threatening infections. Our work will also investigate and test new treatment strategies for this common and challenging human pathogen.
Determining Immune Dynamics During Controlled Primary Infection In Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$579,823.00
Summary
T cells are critical to human health being our second and last line against infectious disease and cancer. However, we know very little about how this hugely complex immune compartment operates during primary challenge with infectious disease. This project will use new technologies to resolve this immune compartment to high detail during the days, weeks and years following controlled infection in human volunteers.