Key points
- A vaccine technology demonstrated to prevent mosquito-borne diseases in animals is now closer to clinical development for humans.
- The UQ-developed ISVac™ platform is an innovative approach using non-infectious virus particles.
- Proboxis Biotechnology has been awarded $1.5 million through Biointelect Venturer's inaugural funding round to advance the platform.
A homegrown vaccine platform demonstrated in animals could soon become a 'plug-and-play' system to rapidly adapt to future mosquito-borne disease threats in humans.
University of Queensland researchers Associate Professor Jody Peters , Dr Henry de Malmanche and Dr Jessica Harrison developed the ISVac™ platform, building on more than a decade of work.
Dr Peters said since her team's discovery of a mosquito-specific virus, they've been able to genetically engineer it to generate virus particles that are non-infectious to humans or animals.
"These particles have been used as vaccines against Japanese encephalitis virus in pigs and West Nile virus in crocodiles ," Dr Peters said.
"This next stage is a huge leap forward - developing a potential new tool to protect humans against emerging mosquito-borne diseases."
The platform will now be advanced by Proboxis Biotechnology, a startup established with support from UQ's commercialisation company UniQuest to help bring the ISVac™ platform closer to clinical development.
Dr Peters said mosquitoes presented a serious - and growing - public-health threat.
"With the changing climate there's been an expansion of where mosquitoes are thriving, and it is pushing mosquito-borne diseases into new regions," she said.
"Japanese encephalitis, which can cause severe neurological illness, lifelong disability and death, wasn't seen in Australia until 2022.
"This highlights the need for both continued investment in preparedness, so vaccines can be mobilised quickly, and the development of new vaccine technologies."
Dr Jessica Harrison, Dr Henry de Malmanche & Associate Professor Jody Peters.
(Photo credit: The University of Queensland.)
The startup has secured $1.5 million in funding through the inaugural round of Biointelect Venturer and already has a promising new vaccine candidate for Japanese encephalitis virus.
If successful, the platform could support the development of other vaccines, including for dengue, Zika, yellow fever and West Nile virus.
Biointelect Venturer is Australia's new national incubator for vaccine and infectious disease innovation, funded by the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) through the 2024 BioMedTech Incubator Grant Opportunity.
Biointelect CEO Leah Goodman said Biointelect Venturer brought together Biointelect's deep expertise in development and commercialisation strategy, regulatory pathways, market access and global partnering to support innovators to progress from promising science towards investment-ready ventures.
"By combining targeted funding with practical, hands-on support and access to national and international networks, Biointelect Venturer is helping strengthen Australia's capability to translate infectious disease innovations into products with real public health impact," Ms Goodman said.
Dr de Malmanche, a biotechnologist, said the innovative approach also had the potential to be highly scalable.
"This funding will support manufacturing development, regulatory readiness and commercial planning to help move the technology towards clinical development," Dr de Malmanche said.
"Importantly, it's also increasing Australia's sovereign capabilities with a homegrown invention that could be manufactured here to protect our population."
UniQuest CEO Dr Dean Moss said the funding would help advance a promising vaccine candidate while unlocking the broader potential of a homegrown technology platform at UQ.
"It's a great example of how years of outstanding research can create new opportunities to strengthen public health preparedness," Dr Moss said.
Collaboration and acknowledgements
The researchers would like to acknowledge Professor David Owen , Protein Expression Facility Director at UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and Associate Professor Daniel Rawle from the Emerging Viral Diseases Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer.
Associate Professor Peters, Dr de Malmanche and Dr Harrison are in UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences.
