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CSIRO Media Release |
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24 September 1998 |
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Influenza, diabetes and some forms of cancer may become more treatable due to pioneering research by CSIRO and industry partners.
The scientists are using an intimate knowledge of the precise structure of disease cells as a springboard to developing effective treatments.
The research is among the star attractions of Manufesto '98, the nations biggest science and industry fair which takes place in Melbourne today and tomorrow, September 24-25, 1998.
"It is a 'know your enemy' philosophy," says Professor Peter Colman, now director of Melbourne's Biomolecular Research Institute (BRI) and former head of CSIRO Molecular science.
"Once you understand the virus or disease phenomenon, you can counter it more effectively."
Professor Colman and his team used this approach in the development of the world's first truly effective anti-influenza drug Relenza ™ (zanamivir), which may be available in Australian pharmacies next winter.
Developed with support from commercial partners Biota Holdings and Glaxo Wellcome, Relenza™ is the first of what promises to be a whole new generation of effective drugs based on synthetic molecules which react with precise molecular targets.
The 'flu virus is a problem because it mutates rapidly. New strains are constantly emerging, which render existing vaccines ineffective.
On the surface of the virus the scientists found a region that occurs in all strains of influenza. Using computers they designed a special drug that 'locks' onto this section of the virus and stops it causing infection.
Recent clinical trials have shown that the drug significantly reduces the duration and severity of 'flu symptoms, especially if it is taken soon after a person is infected. The drug is now undergoing regulatory approval.
The structure based design approach is being taken to develop drugs to combat other infections and diseases.
A team headed by CSIRO's Dr Colin Ward and BRI crystallographer, Dr Tom Garrett is carrying out research into another previously intractable condition, diabetes. The research is currently causing great excitement in medical circles.
At the moment diabetes has to be treated with a complicated regime of diet and insulin injections. Insulin is destroyed by the body's digestive juices if it is taken by mouth.
The team's goal is to understand the atomic structure of a particular family of receptors, sites on the cell surface which detect chemical messengers such as insulin, IGF (or insulin-like growth factor) and EGF (epidermal growth factor).
Receptors are vital links in the body's command chain. Messenger chemicals like hormones and growth factors attach and switch on their special receptor, which in turns commands the cell to perform particular tasks, such as to grow or to process sugar.
The team is the first in the world to clarify the structure of half of the IGF receptor, marking a major scientific milestone in a field of research that has been running since the late 1960s when the 3D structure of insulin was determined. The research was reported in Nature in July this year.
"As the IGF receptor is in the same family as the insulin and EGF receptors, their structures are likely to be extremely similar," says Dr Ward. "So this discovery has major implications for our understanding of the mechanisms behind growth and development, including some forms of cancer and diseases such as diabetes."
The team's final aim is to use their structural knowledge to develop a receptor for diabetes and an inhibitor for cancer, both of which would be great breakthroughs in international medical science.
"This is a milestone in that process - but there is still a long, long way to go," Dr Ward says.
Manufesto '98 will showcase more than 100 star technologies drawn from CRC's CSIRO, Universities and some small companies. The conference will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing Australian researchers and industry as they take research to the global market.
The event is sponsored by CSIRO, Business Victoria and AusIndustry (Department of Industry Science and Tourism) with the support of the Australian Industry Research Group (AIRG) and the Australian Vice Chancellors' Committee (AVCC).
Manufesto '98 takes place at the Melbourne Convention Centre 23-25 September 1998.
More information:
Doug Gale or Warwick Glynn CSIRO, 03 9662 7332 or 0417 543 633
Media are welcome to attend Manufesto '98.
More information is available on the Internet at: http://www.manufesto.csiro.au/
For a media pass please contact: Rosie Schmedding 02
6276 6520 or
0418 622 653
(Australia's largest scientific research organisation)
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