Murdoch Children's Research Institute's (MCRI) Associate Professor Boris Novakovic has received funding to investigate whether the immune system can be harnessed against fungal infections and antimicrobial resistance.
Associate Professor Novakovic has been awarded $470,000 as part of a collaboration between the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR).
The JPIAMR supports international, collaborative projects that tackle antimicrobial resistance and works with the NHMRC to provide support for its Australian partners.
Antimicrobial resistance leads to over 1.5 million deaths annually and occurs when bacteria or fungi become resistant to traditional medicines, making treatment challenging.
Antimicrobial resistance is especially dangerous to immunocompromised children, particularly cancer patients going through chemotherapy.
Associate Professor Novakovic said his research would go beyond standard antifungal therapies and determine whether the innate part of the human immune system could be trained to ward off infections.
Image: Associate Professor Boris Novakovic
"Trained immunity is a new concept in the world of immunology and involves exposing the immune system to certain agents so its existing functions can be enhanced," he said.
"This process could ensure an in-built immune response, better equipping the body against fungal infections and reducing the need for strong antifungal treatments."
Associate Professor Novakovic said that trained immunity showed strong potential in previous studies and could be a game-changer for reducing the global burden of fungal infections.
"We will apply this innovative process to blood samples from chemotherapy patients, examining their immune response in the lab," he said.
"The findings of this research could transform fungal treatment and provide an added layer of protection for those who at higher risk of severe, life-threatening infections."
Researchers from Radboud University (Netherlands), Queen's University (Canada) and University Hospital Münster (Germany) will contribute to this research.
