Immunity breakthrough wins Award for Research Excellence

The 2015 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Award for Research Excellence was last night presented to researchers from The University of Melbourne and Monash University, who will use the $80,000 award to continue their groundbreaking work on how the immune system identifies and fights disease.

The researchers, led by Professors James McCluskey (Melbourne) and Jamie Rossjohn (Monash), have revealed how the immune system uses the building blocks in Vitamin B2 production to recognise pathogens such as Salmonella and tuberculosis. It is claimed that their research could be the starting point in better understanding the body’s first line of defence.

“Bacteria, not humans, manufacture vitamins, which is why we rely on our diet to provide vitamins,” explained Professor McCluskey. “We have learnt that the manufacture of vitamin B2, or riboflavin, plays an extremely important and protective role in alerting the immune system to foreign bacteria.

“This work is but the tip of the iceberg in understanding the role of certain cells in the immune system. It’s a great example of curiosity-led science and could lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating inflammatory bowel disease, peptic ulcers and even tuberculosis — it could also lead to novel protective vaccines.”

Professor Rossjohn added that the GSK Award for Research Excellence will help both research teams nurture new talent and play an important role in publicising their long-term work.

“It’s early days, but the public can rest assured that our teams are working extremely hard to see where this discovery will take us,” he said. “The best fundamental science will lead to the best innovative therapeutics.”

Image caption: Professor James McCluskey and Professor Jamie Rossjohn.