Funding mRNA therapy to combat fatal autoinflammatory disease
By Rob Clancy, staff writer. Reviewed by Dr Jacki Heraud-Farlow
Hudson Institute’s leadership in RNA research has again been recognised, this time with a significant research grant from the Victorian government.
Dr Jacki Heraud-Farlow is a member of the RNA Biology and Innate Immune Sensing Research group in the Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases (CiiiD) and her research shows great promise for the treatment of a range of inflammatory conditions.
She is receiving $130,633 over 2 years from mRNA Victoria, to be matched by Hudson Institute, in partnership with BASE mRNA facility at University of Queensland.
Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS) fatal autoinflammatory disease
Dr Heraud-Farlow’s research targets mutations in the genes ADAR1 and IFIH1, which are two causes of a rare but fatal childhood autoinflammatory disease called Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS).
“These genes are part of the anti-viral defence system of cells, but when mutated send the body into a chronic pro-inflammatory state which can be fatal,” she said. “There are currently no effective treatments for AGS.”
“We have identified a novel therapeutic approach, using mRNA, to restore the balance in AGS and shutdown the inflammatory pathways.”
This approach targets a common inflammatory mechanism which, once validated, could be applied to a wider range of inflammation associated conditions.
Dr Heraud-Farlow works in the lab of Professor Carl Walkley.
Her research is focused on understanding the molecular pathways that underlie rare autoinflammatory disease.
Her goal is to harness this knowledge to develop new therapeutics for diseases with an immune or inflammatory component, including viral infection, cancer and autoinflammatory/autoimmune disease.
Collaborators | BASE mRNA facility at University of Queensland
This research was supported by | mRNA Victoria
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