Winter 2013 - University of Queensland

esearch at UQTargeting the causeProfessor Ranjeny Thomas, Head of theAutoimmunity division at UQ’s DiamantinaInstitute (UQDI), and her team have developedan innovative vaccine therapy for rheumatoidarthritis, a devastating immunological diseasethat affects millions of people around the world.The therapy is unique in that it targetsthe underlying autoimmune cause of thedisease, which has been “cooking” for manyyears before it manifests with symptoms ofinflammatory arthritis.Thomas’s team is investigating howthe vaccine strategy could be applied toother autoimmune diseases, such as type1 diabetes, celiac disease, thyroiditis andmultiple sclerosis.Professor Matt Brown, Director ofUQDI, said genetics research such as thatundertaken by Thomas would lead to earlierdiagnosis and preventative treatments.“Immune-mediated diseases likeinflammatory arthritis and diabetesaffect five to ten per cent of Westerncommunities. By developing therapies thatcan ‘turn off’ or block particular pathways,we can potentially diagnose and treatdiseases a lot earlier, which is a hugehealth and economic benefit.”Nanopatch – thinkingoutside the squareProfessor Mark Kendall (Bachelorof Engineering ’93, PhD ’98), abiomedical engineer at UQ’sAustralian Institute forBioengineering andNanotechnology and ARC Future Fellow, hasspent the last ten years developing theNanopatch, a leading “needle-free” methodfor delivering vaccines. Kendall came up withthe concept while he was at a scienceconference, with time on his hands and anotepad and pencil.“I was thinking about how we couldimprove the reach of vaccines, so I decidedto take a step back and find a different wayof doing that,” he said.“Being bored in a presentation gave methe scope to think and doodle. My engineer’sinstinct told me that this was somethingimportant.”Kendall’s design is beguiling in its simplicityand ingenuity. A tiny square containinghundreds of even tinier projections, eachdry coated with the vaccine, is fired into theimmune “sweet spot”, just below the surfaceof the skin, via a mechanical dispenser.This approach has significant advantagesover the old technology of needle andsyringe, which has remained virtuallyunchanged since 1853. Because it uses dryvaccine, the Nanopatch eliminates the needfor refrigerated storage (the so-called “coldchain”), which can be a barrier to massvaccination in many developing countries.It also delivers the vaccine to where it’sneeded most, meaning that only a fraction ofthe usual dose is required. Another advantageis that the Nanopatch can be self-administered.Painless and fast, it eliminates the problemsof needle phobia and needle-stick injuries.As well as being a pioneer of biomedicaland bioengineering innovation, Kendallis a strong advocate for developing ideasbeyond the science. In 2011, he cofoundedstart-up company Vaxxas Pty Ltd,garnering investment contributions of $15million to commercialise the Nanopatch forwidespread use in humans.In 2012, the Nanopatch achieved anothermilestone on its journey to commercialrealisation, with the announcement of asignificant partnership between Vaxxasand US-based pharmaceutical giant Merck,which will see the latter begin commercialproduction of vaccines using the Nanopatchplatform in the very near future.In recognition of his outstanding success,Kendall was one of only five internationalrecipients of a prestigious Rolex Laureatein 2012 (selected from a field of 3500applicants globally). This award has enabledhis team to commence the application ofthe Nanopatch to the developing world,starting with a usability trial in Papua NewProfessor Mark Kendall demonstrates how the Nanopatchworks to nurses at Port Moresby General Hospital.Guinea (PNG). In this trial, the team isusing the cervical cancer-causing humanpapillomavirus (HPV) as their test case.Globally, cervical cancer claims 270,000lives each year, and PNG has the highestincidence of HPV in the world.Kendall said he was even more motivatedto fast-track his work after a recent visit toPNG, where he saw first-hand the humanface of many infectious diseases, includingpneumonia and meningitis, in a clinical setting.“It’s confronting and it just made me wantto jump back on the plane, get back to thelab and move the work along,” he said.To follow the Nanopatch’s journey,visit Professor Kendall’s page ataibn.uq.edu.au/mark-kendall© Rolex Awards/Julian Kingma.A research programinto pancreatic andovarian cancers led byIMB’s Professor SeanGrimmond receives$27.5 million from theNHMRC – its largesteversingle grantThe AtlanticPhilanthropiesannounces a $50million gift to helpestablish Australia’sfirst TranslationalResearch InstituteThe School ofPharmacy movesto a new state-ofthe-artfacility, ThePharmacy AustraliaCentre of ExcellenceIMB researchers ledby Professor DavidCraik engineer anorally active moleculethat could be usedin the treatment ofneuropathic painThe QueenslandChildren’s MedicalResearch Institutejoins UQ as a centrewithin the Faculty ofHealth SciencesQueensland’s firstIndigenous doctor,Associate ProfessorNoel Hayman (’90), isnamed Queensland’sAustralian of the YearThe Asia-Pacific Centrefor Neuromodulation– a world leaderin brain research –is launched by UQand St Andrew’s WarMemorial Hospital20092009 JUL2010 JAN2010 SEP201020112012UQ Contact WINTer 2013 17