Posted: 26 February 2025
Global research on Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), classified by the WHO as a Threatening Pathogen to Humans, has received a significant funding boost from Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Japan’s Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).
Led by the University of Melbourne’s Professor Damian Purcell, Head of the molecular virology laboratory at the Doherty Institute, the $4.3 million grant under the Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE) program will support the development of RNA and small molecule therapies to prevent and treat HTLV infections.
HTLV was the first retrovirus identified in human immune cells. Affecting around 10 million people globally with lifelong infections, HTLV can cause T-cell inflammatory diseases, including lower limb paralysis, eye inflammation (uveitis), lung damage (bronchiectasis), and, in Japan, a high burden of T-cell leukaemia. The virus is endemic among certain First Nations populations in Northern and Central Australia, as well as in Japan, South and Central America, Africa and the Caribbean.
Professor Purcell described the NHMRC and AMED partner funding as a vital opportunity to advance innovative treatments for this global health challenge.
“This international collaboration with leading scientists in Japan enables us to harness cutting-edge medical technologies and resources to develop effective therapies that could transform patient outcomes,” said Professor Purcell.
The ASPIRE program supports three large-scale collaborative research projects each year to understand the complex mechanisms that govern biological functions. By fostering partnerships between Australia and Japan, the program seeks to advance fundamental biomedical research that will have lasting impacts on human health.
NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh emphasised the significance of this initiative, stating that the ASPIRE program provides an important and exciting opportunity for Australian researchers to collaborate on finding answers to some of the most complex health problems.
“The funding will help our researchers to answer fundamental questions about complex biological systems and improve our knowledge, leading to better ways to predict, prevent, diagnose and treat disease,” said Professor Wesselingh.
