Australian Scientists Make Breakthrough on HIV's Infectious

Bioboard AUSTRALIA of proteins, called chemokines, that guide resting cells through the blood Look out for these and into lymph node tissue can upcoming Issues Australian Scientists Make ‘unlock the door’ and allow HIV to Breakthrough on HIV’s enter and set up a silent or ‘latent’ Infectious Grip infection.” Prof Lewin said understanding 2010 how the virus achieved this should Australian scientists revealed the most complete picture of the way speed up the development of new October Diagnostic Technology and more potent treatments for HIV, Revolution in China Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) maintains its infectious grip that could possibly block the virus November Medicinal Plants on the body, pointing to new ways from establishing latency while also to combat it. targeting its more active presence in December Waste Watch The Melbourne-based research the body. has explained how the virus hides Professor Brendan Crabb, dormant versions of itself in a Director of the Burnet Institute, said reservoir of cells out of the reach of the breakthrough was a long time conventional treatments but still able coming and heralded the beginning to “wake up” in the future, posing a of a new chapter in the fight major hurdle to any total cure for against HIV and Acquired immune HIV. deficiency syndrome (AIDS). “We “Once HIV gets into these (the global scientific community) cells, the virus can then go to sleep,” have been working on HIV for close Co-Head of the Burnet Institute’s to 30 years and it’s really only now Center for Virology and Director that we’re beginning to see that a of The Alfred’s Infectious Diseases cure for HIV might be achievable Unit, Professor Sharon Lewin said. and needs to be a major scientific “These silently infected cells are not priority,” Professor Crabb said. cleared by anti-HIV drugs or the The research was a collaborative immune system (meaning) once a effort involving scientists from the patient stops the anti- HIV drugs, Burnet Institute, The Alfred, Monash the virus can then wake up and gets University of Australia, University of going again. Montreal, Canada and the Westmead “Understanding this mechanism Millennium Research Institute in will enable new treatment options Sydney. to be developed which could block latent infection.” The research is Australian Researchers published in the journal Proceedings Developing New Dengue of the National Academy of Science. Vaccine Prof Lewin said it had remained a mystery as to how the virus gained access to the body’s resting CD4-T cells and how it could then lie hidden for years despite prolonged treatment with anti- HIV drugs. “Our team of researchers has now identified the path by which the virus can infect resting CD4-T cells and establish latency,” Prof Lewin said. “We have shown that a family www.asiabiotech.com Volume 14 > Number 10 > 2010 ■ 5 Bioboard Australian researchers are trailing Michael Inouye, studied around 500 new gene for myopia (long or short a new dengue vaccine that would volunteers from Finland, looking at sightedness), new genes affecting help avoiding the scourge of the how cholesterols in the blood stream glaucoma risk, and a gene that causes potentially deadly fever. activate circulating immune cells. optic nerve hypoplasia, which is one It had taken 10 years to develop Constructing biological of the leading causes of blindness in the vaccine which was now one networks of genes that move in children. step away from becoming licensed concert they were then able to “One of the major causes to fight the virus that causes severe identify a network of genes affecting of glaucoma is decreased cornea fever, vomiting, headaches and joint levels of cholesterol in the blood. thickness,” said project leader, Dr pain, the Institute for Child Health “For all intents and purposes these Stuart MacGregor from QIMR’s Research’s Peter Richmond said. genes look like an inflammatory Genetics and Population Health “Researchers have engineered it network and appear reactive to high- Division. “Our research is the first to so that you can get protection from density lipoprotein, triglycerides identify a gene that influences cornea the four main strains of dengue from and apolipoprotein B; all of which thickness.” the one vaccination - so that will stop are predictors of downstream The team also investigated the you getting dengue at all, we hope,” cardiovascular disease,” he said. relationship between intraocular he said. The discovery marks an pressure and glaucoma, and “This has been studied both in important milestone in the discovered a number of genes that children and adults and this is what understanding of biological networks, influence the pressure in the eye. we call phase three, the last stage hopefully paving the way for “This type of work can lead to of the clinical trial,” Dr. Richmond researchers to identify multiple genetic tests that can analyze the added. levels of potential intervention for risk of blindness, and help doctors cardiac disease. Dr Inouye began to monitor people who may have Heart Attack Genes the study at the UK’s Wellcome a higher risk of conditions such as Discovered Trust Sanger Institute in the UK glaucoma,” MacGregor said. finishing it this year at the Walter The findings were part of an and Eliza Hall Institute. Researchers international study in collaboration from Finland’s National Institute for with Professor David Mackey’s Health and Welfare, the University research team from the Centre for of Helsinki and Leiden University Eye Research Australia. Meanwhile, Medical Centre in The Netherlands the QIMR was last week inducted also took part. into the Queensland Business Funding for the study was Leaders Hall of fame. provided by the Wellcome Trust, Governor of Queensland the Australian National Health and Penelope Wensley presented the Medical Research Council and the award to Professor John Hay AC, Finnish Academy. The full results Chair of QIMR Council, at a A team of Australian and European of study appear in the journal PLoS ceremony held at the Plaza Ballroom, Scientists have identified a gene Genetics. Brisbane and Convention Centre. An network which appears to be the initiative of QUT’s School of Business, main culprit in the hardening of Australian Researchers Find the State Library of Queensland and arteries and heart attacks. Hardening Blindness Genes the Queensland Library Foundation, of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, the Hall of Fame celebrates leading occurs when cholesterol builds up Studies of twins conducted at the businesses and business leaders who on the walls of arteries, triggering an Queensland Institute of Medical have enhanced the state’s reputation immune response in the body which Research (QIMR) have revealed a and its economy. leads to more build up. number of genes that appear to affect “QIMR’s induction is in A research team, led by eyesight. recognition of a distinguished Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Data was collected from over contribution to community wellbeing (WEHI) postdoctoral fellow Dr 1000 pairs of twins, revealing a through world-class medical research 6 ■ Volume 14 > Number 10 > 2010 www.asiabiotech.com Bioboard and commercialization,” said Future Risks for Child Cancer meaning the drug killed the cancer Professor Hay upon receiving the Survivors Seven Times Higher cells it was targeting and was rapidly award. cleared from the body’s tissues. Survivors of childhood cancer in Other patients were slow responders, Innovative Spinal Surgery Australia face more than seven in which case the drugs remained Performed at Austin Health times the risk of dying of cancer in present for longer, and had time to later life. They are also at nearly five damage other cells or processes. Doctors at Austin Health performed times the risk of being affected by a “We will be able to . tailor individual therapies, with the ground-breaking surgery to remove second cancer. ultimate goal of reducing late effects,” a large tumor dangerously wrapped However, the first study of Dr Ashton said. around a patient’s spine. Australian childhood cancer survivors David Ceravolo, 47 year-old has shown they face a different set of father of three, had as little as risks compared with cancer survivors Triggers Found on Asthma 3 weeks left before becoming a in the US and Europe, with survivors Risk paraplegic. Dr Gerald Quan, an here more likely to develop bone and orthopedic surgeon, knew time was thyroid cancers, and melanomas. Children with a dry night cough, The authors of the research, of the essence, given the severity of eczema or who wheeze with exercise published in the Medical Journal of Mr Ceravolo’s chondrosarcoma, a have more than eight times the risk of Australia, said the results showed rare form of cartilage cancer. asthma attack under anesthetic. The childhood cancer survivors needed The cancer, resistant to situation can be fatal if corrective to keep a close watch on their health. chemotherapy and radiation, had drugs fail. “This is a starting point to evaluate The same factors put affected returned after a previous operation, these problems, in a population children at four times the risk of their this time growing more rapidly that’s growing as a result of the vocal cords locking up while under and aggressively in and around Mr improvements in treatment we’ve sedation, a situation that requires the Ceravolo’s spine. Dr Quan and his seen over the past few decades,” said prompt use of muscle-relaxing drugs team performed two life-saving lead author Lesley Ashton, head of to allow air back into the lungs. operations over the course of four the molecular epidemiology groups The findings - the result of days, giving Mr Ceravolo time to at the Children’s Cancer Institute Australian research involving recover in between.

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