Australian researchers at Monash University have been awarded $488,125 in development grants by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for projects exploring new vaccines for HIV, the development of medical diagnostic devices and the development of drugs to treat metastatic cancers.
Of the 14 grants announced today, three will fund Monash University research. The NHMRC's Development Grants Scheme provides financial support in the early 'proof of concept' stage, allowing researchers to translate the results of their research into products.
Deputy vice-chancellor (research) Professor Edwina Cornish said the grants demonstrated the innovative approaches taken by Monash researchers across a range of areas.
"These scientists are pursuing research that has the potential to significantly improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of a range of medical conditions," Professor Cornish said. "They are to be commended on their achievements to date and their commitment to making the practical outcomes of their research available to the general public."
In the grants, Dr Martin Lackmann, a senior research fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received $204,125 to refine and improve the effectiveness of two proteins to selectively target, and potentially kill, tumour cells from a number of cancers, including melanoma.
"In many aggressive cancers, tumour cells spread into surrounding tissue and eventually colonise other organs of the body," Dr Lackmann said. "We are developing agents that bind to a cell surface protein which seems to guide the location of tumour cells. In animal studies these agents are selectively taken up by cancer cells of certain tumours. By refining their tumour targeting and killing properties these agents might form the basis for new anti-cancer/anti-metastatic agents."