WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Research in the School is conducted under the umbrella of The Western Australian Biomedical Research Institute (WABRI). WABRI is a university-based research Institute at Curtin University of Technology combining wet-laboratory research groups from the School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and the School of Public Health.

WABRI brings together the expertise of more than 70 scientists, many with well-established international reputations in the fields of biomedical sciences and pharmacology.

The focus of WABRI is developing and applying new health related technologies to reduce the burden of chronic diseases, especially in the areas of cancer, metabolic and immune diseases. Drug delivery and development, and biotechnology applications are key platforms for many projects as WABRI value adds to its intellectual property and translates knowledge into practice.

WHY FOCUS ON CHRONIC DISEASES?

Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases and stroke are the leading cause of mortality in the world, representing 60% of all deaths. Obesity, an important cause of chronic disease, is increasing alarmingly in both men and women.

“Global action to prevent chronic disease could save the lives of 36 million people who would otherwise be dead by 2015” says the World Health Organization (WHO) report, 'Preventing Chronic Diseases: a vital investment'.

The chronic disease epidemic is also an under-appreciated cause of poverty. In the South-East Asia Region, WHO reports that “51% of all deaths are due to chronic disease, and 89 million people are likely to die in the next 10 years. 60 million such deaths are likely to occur in India alone”.

The economic impact of this global chronic disease epidemic is serious. The chronic disease burden consumes more than 75% of the USA $2 trillion medical care costs.

CHRONIC DISEASES AND RESEARCH PLATFORMS FORMING THE FOCUS OF WABRI

Cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death. In 2007, 7.6 million people died from cancer which means about 20,000 deaths / day. In 2007, there were 12 million new cases of cancer and by 2050, it has been estimated that the global burden will grow to 27 million new cancer cases yearly and 18 million cancer deaths, simply due to growth and ageing of the population.

Metabolic and Immune Disorders

Metabolic and immune systems are fundamental to our survival. Many metabolic and immune responses are evolutionarily conserved throughout species and are highly integrated. The proper function of each is dependent on the other, dysfunction of which can lead to a cluster of chronic metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Collectively, these chronic diseases constitute the greatest current threat to global human health and welfare.

Drug Delivery and Development and Biotechnology Applications

The discovery of new drug therapies is crucial in the fight against complex chronic diseases that are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. In addition, the efficient delivery of new drugs and biotechnology products to their sites of action in the body is essential for the cost-effective utilisation of these new therapeutic approaches. Consequently, current drug discovery programs worldwide are increasingly focusing on these areas in order to secure the path from drug to market.

Infectious Diseases

In addition to research and development into chronic diseases and the connected technology platforms described above, WABRI also has a research strength in the area of Infectious Diseases. Infectious diseases represent a crisis of global proportions that threatens hard-won gains in health and life expectancy. Infectious diseases are the world's biggest killer of children and young adults, with for more than 13 million deaths reported each year. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. These diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another, and in some cases (eg avian flu), infectious disease in animals can be transmitted to humans.

WABRI’S PRINCIPAL FOCI IN THE AREA OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

WABRI’s principal foci in the area of infectious diseases presently include research into Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) to understand the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance and the evolution of remote Community-acquired MRSA (CMRSA), which has now emerged as a serious problem in our remote community environments; and studies into malaria, which infects more than 500 million people who become severely ill with the disease each year. Pre-clinical studies of antimalarial drugs, including drug combination strategies are being evaluated in murine model of malaria.

The CRC for Biosecurity represents another large grouping with interest in infectious diseases and closer alignment with WABRI and the Schools of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy represent another opportunity to build critical mass in this area.

For more information visit the WABRI web site.