Blocking the flight path of bird flu
Story Jeannette Langan
Griffith's Institute for Glycomics is again attracting international attention for its work battling the looming threat of a global influenza pandemic.
Institute for Glycomics Director Professor Mark von Itzstein has just been presented the 2007 Zimmer International Scholar Award from the University of Cincinnati in recognition of his research in glycoscience and medicinal chemistry.
Professor von Itzstein delivered a series of lectures at the University of Cincinnati that showcased the discovery of antiinfluenza drugs and other potential antiviral drugs for the treatment of significant virus-induced diseases.
As one of Australia's leading influenza virus drug designers, Professor von Itzstein has been closely watching the progress of the H5N1 'bird flu' pandemic, and other emerging viral threats.
"Viruses require constant vigilance. There's often a public perception that when a vaccine for an illness such as flu or rotavirus is made available it's a panacea, but that's not the case," he said.
"Many viruses are 'shape shifters' with an incredible ability to constantly evolve and mutate to avoid detection by a host's immune system, so stockpiling existing drugs becomes useless.
"The goal with glycomics drug design is to identify what remains constant within the virus, and target that to produce broad spectrum anti-viral drugs."
The institute is one of a handful of specialist facilities worldwide working on carbohydrate-based 'glycopharmaceuticals' which are widely tipped as the world's next wonder-drugs for their capacity to block the ability of a disease to replicate.
Professor von Itzstein said while flu had always been one of humanity's most relentless killers, the threat level had escalated.
"With increasing international travel, climate change and more intensive agricultural practices, the opportunity for viral mutation and transmission has increased.
"The problem is it still takes 6-12 months after an outbreak to identify and characterise the virus - if at all available to researchers - and develop a vaccine suitable to that strain," he said.