Institute for Molecular Bioscience Year in Review 2017

Shrinking childhood brain tumours

A drug used to treat breast cancer has been found to effectively shrink medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumour found in children.

The discovery was made by an international team of researchers steered by IMB’s Professor Brandon Wainwright, and has led to a clinical trial using the drug palbociclib to treat children with medulloblastoma. 

Brain tumours are the most common cause of cancer death in infants, children and adolescents – with survivors at risk of suffering significant long-term side effects from existing treatments. Researchers hope to reduce the devastation for families caused by medulloblastoma.

Spider venom to prevent brain damage from stroke

IMB researcher Professor Glenn King led a research team who discovered a small protein in spider venom that could prevent the devastating brain damage caused by stroke. The protein, Hi1a, blocks acid-sensing ion channels in the brain, which are key drivers of brain damage after stroke. 

During preclinical studies researchers found a single dose of Hi1a administered up to eight hours after stroke protected brain tissue and drastically improved neurological performance.

$1B agreement with global pharmaceutical company

IMB spin-out company Protagonist Therapeutics Inc. entered into an agreement with Janssen to co-develop and commercialise an oral peptide drug candidate for inflammatory bowel disease.

The biopharmaceutical company, founded by IMB researcher Associate Professor Mark Smythe, is developing oral drugs to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease.

The bold plan to map every cell in your body

IMB researchers have joined forces with scientists from 14 of Australia’s biomedical centres as part of a global initiative to map every single cell in the human body to create an ‘instruction manual’ for life itself. 

The ambitious project is called the Human Cell Atlas and aims to create comprehensive maps each of our cells. Data will be available to scientists around the world and could have a significant impact on how we understand, diagnose, monitor and treat disease.

Understanding motor neurone disease

Professor Naomi Wray led an international research team who identified genetic factors contributing to the risk of developing motor neurone disease (MND) – a progressive, terminal disease in which the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that control muscles progressively die. 

Identifying new risk genes helps build a more complete picture of the causes of MND and provides new avenues for research into potential treatments for this rapidly progressing degenerative disease.

The cane toad challenge

Since their introduction to Australia over 80 years ago, the cane toad has had a devastating ecological impact on native wildlife and the environment. Professor Rob Capon is responsible for the invention of cane toad tadpole trapping technology that uses a natural toad pheromone to lure toad tadpoles into a trap. 

Professor Capon has partnered with councils and community groups across Australia to fight back against the scourge of cane toads using his innovative tadpole baits.

Teaming up to create a world-first organic insecticide

IMB’s Craik group partnered with an Australian family owned company, Innovate Ag, to help create Sero-X, the world’s first mass-producible organic insecticide. 

The insecticide uses peptides known as cyclotides – which repel insects and are found in the Butterfly Pea plant. Professor David Craik has been working with Innovate Ag to determine how to extract active cyclotides, optimise their yield and determine their safety.

When a stroke attacks, blood flow to the brain is suddenly interrupted. Brain cells are deprived of oxygen and immediately begin to die. In fact, up to 1.9 million brain cells succumb every minute.

Stroke can happen to anyone, and it claims six million lives worldwide each year. A further five million stroke survivors are left with a permanent disability.

Currently, no treatments are available to limit brain damage and disability after stroke, however a world first discovery by researchers at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience is set to turn this around and provide better outcomes for stroke survivors.

Secret ingredient found in deadly bite

Professor Glenn King and his research partners at The University of Queensland and Monash University discovered a peptide in the venom of funnel-web spiders that could drastically reduce brain damage following stroke.

“We discovered a small protein, Hi1a, that potently blocks acid-sensing ion channels in the brain, which are key drivers of brain damage after stroke. Remarkably, this peptide was found in venom of the lethal Australian funnel-web spider.”

Protection against stroke injury

During preclinical studies, researchers found a single dose of Hi1a administered up to eight hours after stroke protected brain tissue and drastically improved neurological performance.

“We found brain damage was reduced by 80 per cent when Hi1a was administered two hours after stroke. Even when administered eight hours after stroke onset, the amount of brain damage was reduced by about 65 per cent,” Professor King said.

"It would be particularly useful for patients in rural and regional areas, who need to travel further to access their nearest hospital."

Researchers are currently looking for funding to take the compound into clinical trials. If clinical trials are successful, Hi1a could transform treatment and outcomes for stroke patients, as there are currently no stroke treatments on the market that can protect the brain.

There is only one approved drug treatment for stroke caused by a blood clot, which works to dissipate the clot. Unfortunately this drug treatment also thins the blood, and therefore it is unsuitable for patients whose stroke is caused by a haemorrhage rather than blockage of an artery.

“If Hi1a also proves to be safe for patients with stroke caused by a brain haemorrhage, it could be administered in the ambulance without the need of a brain scan. This would minimise fatalities and provide much better outcomes for survivors of stroke in terms of minimising brain damage," Professor King said.

This research project involved scientists from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland Brain Institute, and Centre for Advanced Imaging; and Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology.

It often begins silently. Unsuspecting parents think their child has the flu, pneumonia or even a urinary tract infection.

But before long, their child’s health deteriorates, as widespread inflammation and infection ravage through the body. If not treated promptly, this ‘silent killer’ can lead to multiple organ failure and even death.

Sepsis, also known as ‘blood poisoning’, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body overreacts to an infection -injuring its own organs and tissues in the process.

Over 18,000 Australians suffer from sepsis every year. From those affected, about 5000 die and half the survivors are left with a disability or impaired function. Although it can affect anyone, children and infants are at greatest risk of suffering from sepsis, resulting in a disproportionate representation from this group.

Symptoms of sepsis can be difficult to identify as they often mimic the flu and can include high temperatures, rapid breathing and lethargy.

Researchers at IMB have partnered with Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital to develop diagnostic tools to rapidly identify sepsis and treat patients before it escalates.

Developing a portable device for rapid detection of infection

IMB’s Associate Professor Lachlan Coin and his team use genomics tools to uncover biomarkers to rapidly characterise pathogenic bacterial infections.

“The current testing process is long, up to 48 hours, and often returns an inconclusive result. Patients are therefore often given a broad-spectrum antibiotic which can be 'hit-and-miss' and contribute to bacteria developing resistance.

“We are developing an approach which allows clinicians to identify the presence of a bacterial rather than a viral infection; the bacterial species and the presence of antibiotic-resistance genes within six hours, or a single hospital shift."

The technology utilises nanoparticles which can bind to and extract bacteria from a biological fluid, such as blood.

“By concentrating bacterial cells, we can extract and sequence bacterial DNA, using a portable sequencing device the size of a mobile phone,” Associate Professor Coin said.

“This will be life-saving for many patients who fly under-the-radar with sepsis, as every hour of delay in diagnosis increases a patient’s risk of death by four per cent.”

From bench to bedside – combining expertise to achieve rapid clinical outcomes

Associate Professor Luregn Schlapbach, a paediatric intensivist at Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital and clinical partner of IMB, said the development of point-of-care diagnostic tests is considered crucial to prevent deaths in children from sepsis.

“We have a lot of good treatments, however they are often used too late or inaccurately. We have to find better markers that tell us what drugs a child needs,” he said.

“Being a clinical researcher, I rely on good collaborations with lab researchers. IMB has a unique group with expertise around analysing our genes and the way genes are activated. This approach has the potential to identify much faster which patients have sepsis.

“Such collaborations are essential to achieve rapid outcomes of research that will lead to clinical change.”

Right now, about 1500 people are on a waiting list for a second chance at life.

With organ donors rare and donation requirements stringent, wait times are at least six months before a patient will receive an organ that could save or transform their life. Sadly, many never get the chance.

Researchers at IMB hope to slash these wait times by improving transplant and preservation strategies for donor hearts and lungs. An outstanding multidisciplinary team from IMB and The Prince Charles Hospital are partnering with industry, health sectors and consumers to help those affected by severe cardio-respiratory diseases.

IMB’s Dr Nathan Palpant and Professor Glenn King are part of the team working to improve the success rate of heart transplants by creating new drugs to improve the viability of donor organs.

“Outside the body, organs have a limited lifespan, and within a matter of hours they will no longer be viable for transplantation. For a heart, this window of opportunity is only four to six hours after surgery, which provides a very limited time for a transplant to take place,” Dr Palpant said.

Dr Palpant studies heart development using human stem cells, and has successfully developed cell types of the cardiovascular system, including cells to make heart muscle and vascular cells that make blood vessels.

“Understanding how to make cells of the cardiovascular system from stem cells is critical for disease modelling, drug discovery and developing novel cell therapeutics for tissue regeneration.

”IMB researchers are currently working to develop drug leads which have shown promise in effectively protecting the viability and functionality of organs.

“One of the drug candidates we will be evaluating is a novel peptide derived from spider venom, discovered by Professor Glenn King’s lab at IMB, that could protect hearts from ischemic injury and subsequently prolong their viability,” Dr Palpant said.

To assist with testing these drug leads to develop innovative treatments for heart disease, researchers are working with international leaders in cardiorespiratory disease and therapy including ProfessorJohn Fraser at The Prince Charles Hospital as well as Professor Peter MacDonald, a cardiologist and research scientist at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney.

From shaping the research question and solutions right through to putting their findings into practice, a multidisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, patients and advocacy groups are involved throughout the entire process.

They are utilising amore integrated process to fast-track translation and create a greater impact, sooner. By integrating UQ’s innovative research discoveries with clinical care practices, the team are well poised to deliver globally unique outcomes that address significant clinical issues in cardiovascular medicine.

EndoWhat? Unravelling the mystery behind endometriosis

One in ten women suffer from endometriosis – a common, yet poorly understood disease thatcan cause chronic pelvic pain and infertility.

To raise awareness of this devastating disease and share our exciting research discoveries with the community, IMB held EndoWhat? Unravelling the mystery behind endometriosis. Kicking off Endometriosis Awareness Month in March, Professor Grant Montgomery joined a panel of engaging speakers, pelvic pain specialist Dr Susan Evans and EndoActive founders Syl and Lesley Freedman

Welcome to our Biofuture

By the year 2050, the human population is forecast to expand to nine billion people, requiring 50 percent more fuel, 70 per cent more food and 50 percent more fresh water.

Professor Ben Hankamer presented Welcome to our Biofuture as part of UQ’s Global Leadership Series, sharing his transformative solutions to sustaining life on earth in the face of this increasing demand for resources. In collaboration with industry, government and research partners, Professor Hankamer and his team are using microalgae to produce clean fuels, functional foods, aquaculture and livestock feeds, protein therapeutics and bioproducts.

A Kiwi in Kowie: Bringing science to Far North Queensland

IMB student Emma Livingstone embarked on a quest to nurture the curiosity in young people from rural Australia and inspire them to consider a career in science.

Travelling to Kowanyama, a remote Aboriginal community in Far North Queensland, Emma took part in Catch a Rising Star: Women in Queensland Science, one of 1000 events that took place across Australia during National Science Week. The children revelled in the joy of putting on a lab coat and participating in activities like making balloon rockets, slime, fossils and crystals.

Unique focus of new cardiovascular research centre

The new UQ Centre for Cardiac and Vascular Biology (CCVB) was officially launched in May during National Heart Week. The Centre was established to combat cardiovascular disease and brings together eight research groups from around UQ, researching cardiovascular development, regeneration and disease.

Co-director and IMB Group Leader Associate Professor Ben Hogan said the CCVB recognises the need for a multidisciplinary approach to cardiovascular disease, which kills one Australian every 12 minutes.

Supporting our partners

At IMB, we help our partners by supporting their education and networking initiatives.

In December IMB hosted an advocacy workshop for Rare Voices Australia, which armed participants with strategies to bring patient communities together and provided them with the tools to engage with all stakeholders, including government, media, pharmaceutical companies, clinicians and researchers.

Together with their partners at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital MND research clinic, IMB’s Wray group hosted a tour for patients with motor neurone disease who donated biological samples to the clinic for research. Guests were given the opportunity to see what happens to the sample they donate and learn how the team generates genomic information from samples.

Bringing together global health leaders in the fight against superbugs

Global leaders in the fight against antibiotic resistance gathered in Brisbane in April for the Solutions for Drug-Resistant Infections (SDRI) conference.

Hosted by IMB’s Centre for Superbug Solutions, the conference brought together multidisciplinary and expert teams driven to solve the challenge of drug-resistant infections through research, innovation and collaboration.

Conference speakers included Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Dame Sally Davies; and Professor Ramanan Laxminarayan, Director of the Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in Washington, D.C.

571 collaborations, 58 countries