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08 09 > Overview // AR 2006
Research Highlights
Infection and Immunity
The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy team, lead by
Professor Tania Sorrell had an extremely successful year with
funded by both the federal government and the JDRF aims
to identify factors that cause graft damage and to develop a
safer immunosuppressive regimen.
Liver and Metabolic
Dr Poustchi was the recipient of a Young Investigator
award at the Asia Pacific Digestive Disease Week in Cebu,
The Brain Dynamics Centre capped a successful year with
the opening of their newly refurbished facilities. The Baroness
Susan Greenfield officially opened three new laboratories.
the completion of studies showing that biochemical profiles
of different fungi can be identified using NMR spectroscopy
and which can be used for their clinical diagnosis. The work
also showed that resistance to medicines used in therapy can
also be rapidly determined using this technology.
Institute researchers together with Professor Adrian Mindel
conducted the first nationwide survey of adult infection
with Herpes Simplex viruses types 1 and 2 (which cause
oral and genital herpes respectively) conducted outside the
USA. Such studies will provide the baseline information for
future deployment of vaccines against genital herpes expected
within the next five years.
Responding to the urgent national need for knowledge on
avian flu, infectious diseases researchers investigated ways
to rapidly and accurately identify the presence of the avian
virus in people. The virus researchers received two NHMRC
strategic grants to work on a portable diagnostic system that
could show the presence of flu virus H5N1 in a human
sample within two hours. A highly sensitive technique for
detection of potential resistance to antiviral drugs was also
developed.
The pioneering immunological clinical research of the
pancreatic islet cell transplantation group resulted in
them being chosen to lead an Australian wide research
consortium. The aim of the research is to develop pancreatic
islet transplantation as a mainstream therapy for patients
with difficult to control diabetes. The new study, which was
The Molecular Genetics of Allergy Group, lead by Dr
Graham Jones made significant process in the understanding
of the genetics and function of a new gene, PHF11, and
its involvement asthma and eczema. The group identified
genetic variants in PHF11 that increase the risk of developing
asthma and eczema. It also showed for the first time that
PHF11 controls the expression of other genes expressed in a
subset of immune cells called T-cells.
Cancer
Melanoma researchers lead by Professor Rick Kefford
and A/Professor Graham Mann commenced a research
program investigating the molecular determinants of the
risk, progression and treatment response in melanoma. The
NHMRC funded program will be conducted over the next
five years.
The Genomics and Genetic Epidemiology group completed
the Australian Melanoma Family Study (AMFS), with
the University of Melbourne’s MEGA Centre and the
Queensland Cancer Fund Epidemiology Research Unit.
This is one of the world’s largest population-based studies
of melanoma. Approximately 1100 people who developed
melanoma before age 40 or unaffected controls were enrolled
in the study, plus thousands of their family members.
The Breast Cancer Tissue Bank, a simple but vital research
tool, began sample collection this year. Patients operated on
in NSW hospitals were invited to donate tissue to the bank.
Researchers across Australia are able to access the bank.
Philippines 2006, for related research on insulin resistance
and responses to antiviral therapy in patients with Chronic
hepatitis C.
In the area of insulin resistance and liver disease, Dr Ian
Cua a Clinical Research Fellow won the Unit’s second
Young Investigator Award at the Asian Pacific Association
for the Study of the Liver meeting (March 2006) in Manila,
Philippines, for his studies on the role of adipokines in
mediating insulin resistance in hepatitis C.
Neuroscience and Vision
Researchers in the Centre for Vision Research in conjunction
with the University of Sydney, used data from the Blue
Mountains Eye Study to investigate dietary fat and its
relationship to this eye disease. They found that people who
consumed one serve of fish a week had a 40% lower risk of
developing the early form of age-related maculopathy (ARM)
and people who consumed three serves of fish a week had a
75% lower risk of developing the more severe form of ARM.
A PhD project titled: Conscious and Nonconscious Emotion
processing: An integration of fMRI and ERPs was recognized
by the award of best PhD thesis for this year (winning the
Tasman Lovell medal in Psychology). It identified the neural
signature of conscious and nonconscious processing of fear
and happiness.
Cardio-respiratory
During 2006 LECRR researchers completed a major
epidemiologic study that identified heavy snoring as a risk
factor for the presence of carotid artery wall atherosclerosis
(plaque). Since dislodgement of carotid artery wall plaque is a
cause of stroke, this finding suggests that heavy snoring alone
poses a significant health threat.
A project conducted by the Centre for Heart Research
involved the creation of a chronic ovine (sheep) model of
atrial flutter using purely percutaneous (through the skin)
means. Previous models required open heart surgery. With
the aid of new 3D electro-anatomical imaging, the group was
able to reliably induce atrial flutter in sheep, similar to the
abnormal heart rhythms experienced by humans. Gene and
stem cell therapy to treat such disorders of the conduction
system of the heart will commence in late 2007.