MRFF grants to support Monash research into COVID-19
Three Monash University projects have received $10.8 million from the Medical Research Future Fund to support research that improves our understanding of COVID-19 and help develop new and enhanced treatments.
The grants are among 14 projects to receive $31.5 million under the latest round of MRFF grants.
The Monash projects include a study into antibodies and cellular immune responses after infection or vaccination in healthy and vulnerable people, a coordinated multiplatform randomised trial for hospitalised patients with COVID-19, and pre-clinical testing of novel inhaled RNA therapies for stability, safety and effectiveness against COVID-19.
The MRFF-funded projects are:
PROPHECY: Profiling immune Response in Paediatric and High-risk populations to SARS-CoV-2 - $6,327,000
Led by Associate Professor Menno van Zelm
COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe disease. However, people with underlying health conditions remain at risk of infection and associated complications. The PROPHECY study will evaluate antibodies and cellular immune responses after infection or vaccination in healthy and vulnerable people to evaluate their protection against future variants. These findings will inform future clinical care for COVID-19 and targeted approaches to enhance vaccine responses in the vulnerable patient groups.
A coordinated multiplatform randomised trial for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 - $4,000,000
Led by Professor Steven Webb
This proposal supports two established adaptive platform trials, ASCOT-ADAPT and REMAP-CAP, joining to identify effective treatments for COVID-19 as fast as possible. The new interventions which will be evaluated are optimal antiviral, the dose of dexamethasone; comparing two immune modulators (tocilizumab and baricitinib) to determine which is most effective, and convalescent plasma in patients who are immune suppressed.
Read more on this research here.
Pre-clinical testing of novel inhaled RNA therapies for stability, safety and effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 to demonstrate proof of concept - $500,000
Led by Professor Merlin Thomas
RNA can be used to treat human diseases. It can be used to provide a template to make a new protein, as in messenger RNA vaccines. RNA can also be used to selectively change the message and protein generated from a gene. We have shown that inhaled RNA can change the proteins made by the lungs in a way to protect them against SARS-CoV-2 and its associated hyper-inflammation in the lungs. In this project we will develop these new treatments in animal models as a precursor to human trials.
Read the full Monash announcement here.
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
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