Drug discovery from natural products

Eskitis Institute for Cell and Mollecular Therapies

The Global Disease Burden

Cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, drug-resistant pathogens, and neglected diseases are just some of the world most prevalent diseases in the 21st century.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and accounts for 7.6 million or 13% of all deaths.

Alzheimer's affects 37 million people world wide, while in Australia alone, 100,000 people are affected by Parkinson's, with 1 in 7 being diagnosed before the age of 50.

Neglected diseases, such as Malaria, cause up to 600 million new infections worldwide each year, and kills more then 1 million people. Drug-resistant pathogens, such as the 'superbug', affect an estimated 53 million people world wide, killing more then 3,000 people in the UK alone. The high mortality rate associated with these diseases, as well as the economic burden on society, demonstrates an urgent need to develop new methods of treatment for the world's most prevalent diseases.

Molecular Libraries

- New methods of treatment for the world's most prevalent diseases.

Although therapeutic drugs are available for the treatment of numerous human diseases, there is still a need to develop new therapeutic agents due to the resistance of many diseases to current therapies.

Housed on-site at the Eskitis Institute, the Queensland Compound Library is Australia's only dedicated compound management facility. Ground-breaking research conducted by the Eskitis Institute, utilising the Queensland Compound Library archive, has shown that once solubilised, small molecules can be tested against biological systems to gain a greater understanding of their underlying function and processes. In some cases, a compound may prove to be so efficient at inhibiting or accelerating a process that it might, with further research, form the basis of a new drug.

As many human diseases become resistant to current drug therapies, there will be a need to further research into natural product drugs, calling for focused library collections that target particular disease areas.

The Griffith Advantage

Griffith University is an innovative university committed to multidisciplinary teaching and research, individual rights, ethical standards and social justice. It has five campuses in three cities, across the Brisbane - Gold Coast corridor. With more than 33,000 students and 3,500 staff, it is one of Queensland's largest universities.

The Eskitis Institute for Cell and Molecular Therapies focuses its research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of human diseases in the area of cancer, infection and immunity, neglected diseases, neurological disease and stem cell biology. The research facilities are equipped with industry standard, robotic and highthroughput biochemical analysis, x-ray crystallography and confocal microscopy equipment to assist the Institute in the development of
new strategies to prevent and/or treat these diseases.

Established in 2001, the Queensland Compound Library is Australia's only dedicated compound management facility. By establishing and promoting synergies between Australasian chemists, biomedical researchers, and their international colleagues, value can be added to the already excellent basic medical research, synthetic organic chemistry and natural product expertise in the region.

The Queensland Compound Library operates a program of streamlined storage and screening of small molecules and natural product extracts that is unrivalled in Australia. Cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, neglected diseases and drug-resistant pathogens are just some of the diseases that the Eskitis Institute and the Queensland Compound Library is at the forefront of discovering and developing natural product drugs for.

Make a Difference

The Eskitis Institute's Queensland Compound Library employs microtube technology to curate and collate small molecules and natural product extracts to deliver local, national and global benefits through it's ground-breaking research to combat the world's most prevalent diseases. The Queensland Compound Library; a collection of natural product drugs and a bought-in commercial library to round out the collection, will enable the Eskitis Institute to continue the fight against the world's most prevalent diseases through the development of natural product drugs. Financial support is sought to bring this shared vision to reality.

Every gift makes a difference

If you would like to give to the Eskitis Institute for Cell and Mollecular Therapies, please make a donation online or or contact Regina Tucker, Development and Alumni Coordinator.

For more information on how you can support this initiative, please contact:

Regina Tucker
Development and Alumni Coordinator (SEET)

From within Australia
Telephone: (07) 5552 7263

From outside Australia
Telephone: +61 7 5552 7263

Email: r.tucker@griffith.edu.au