Research & Innovation Services
Paul Giacomin
- Research Development and Partnership Advisor
- paul.giacomin@jcu.edu.au
Arnold Mangott
- Research Development and Partnership Advisor
- arnold.mangott@jcu.edu.au
Exploring new therapeutic approaches for coeliac disease based on biological effects of hookworm treatment. (Old ID 27271)
Paul Giacomin
01 May 2021 - 30 Nov 2022
We hypothesise that hookworm infection creates an anti-inflammatory environment in the small intestine that favours improved gluten intolerance in coeliac disease, and undersstanding the biological mechanisms that lead to improved gluten intolerance will advance the development of novel theraplies that will not require being infected with live worms. The overall aim of this project is to comprehensively profile the biological responses in the gut and faeces using innovative, complementary techniques (RNA-sequencing, transcriptomic imaging and microbiome analyses) and correlate these changes with improved coeliac disease outcomes.
Novel therapeutics for diabetes sourced from Northern Australian biota. (Old ID 27346)
Paul Giacomin
02 Aug 2021 - 30 Jun 2023
he aim of this project is to develop lead diabetes drug candidates from hookworm saliva and build a package for multinational commercial investment. The project aims to deliver the following outcomes: 1. Screen a synthetic hookworm library (consisting of hundreds of hookworm proteins) for anti-inflammatory activity and express lead candidates using pharmaceutical industry standard techniques. 2. Assess efficacy of leads in mouse models of diet-induced T2D. 3. Understand the mechanism of lead drug action and prioritize candidates for progression into clinical development. 4. Set the scene for a burgeoning biotech industry in Northern Australia that is differentiated from those in the south, and indeed globally, by capitalizing on the unique biodiversity of the region and the therapeutic opportunities it presents.
Laser based diagnostics for STH infections (Old ID 26822)
Paul Giacomin
01 Jan 2020 - 30 Apr 2022
Developing novel laser based methods for rapid diagnosis and quantification of parasitic worm infection in various animal and human biological tissue samples, with the end goal of a point-of-care, rapid and sensitive diagnostic,
Can experimental hookworm infection prevent metabolic disease/Type 2 diabetes? (Old ID 24710)
Paul Giacomin
01 Jan 2018 - 01 Jun 2019
We will conduct a world-first clinical trial in Cairns testing the safety and efficacy of experimental hookworm infection in women at risk of getting Type 2 diabetes. For this application we will examine how worm infection alters the microbiome, a potental mechanism of how worms control metabolism.
New therapies for Coeliac Disease: Helminths and their secreted products. (Old ID 22524)
Paul Giacomin
01 Feb 2016 - 01 May 2019
Coeliac Disease (CeD) is a common and debilitating autoimmune disorder (affecting 1% of the Queensland population) where gluten ingestion triggers an inflammatory reaction and severe intestinal symptoms. A gluten-free diet is effective for some, but is expensive, inconvenient and inadvertant gluten exposure is common. Hence there is a need for new new treatements for CeD. In a recent clinical trial, our research group demonstrated the efficacy of an unlikely agent to imporive gluten tolerance; parasitic helominths (worms). The overall aim of my research is to translate this movel thereapy into a larger, placebo-controlled clinical trail and study the mechanisms by which worms control the immune response. Identification of the molecules that the worms prodcue to suppress gluten-induced pathology will allow the development of "pill-based" medcations for CeD, and potentially other autoimmune or inflammatory conditions.
Hookworm peptide therapeutic for oral treatment of IBD (Old ID 26317)
Paul Giacomin
01 Jan 2020 - 30 Jun 2022
We intend to develop an orally delivered peptide that can modulate the immune system and be developed as a therapeutic for inflammatory bowel disease. We have identified a peptide, derived from a hookworm protein, that alleviates the clinical symptoms of experimental colitis when orally administered to mice. The peptide has bioactivity with human cells ex vivo and displays desirable drug-like properties. The aim of this project is to acquire further data on the mechanism of action and formulation conditions to facilitate formal product development prior to licensing and clinical trials.
Novel therapeutics for diabetes sourced from Northern Australian biota. (Old ID 27321)
Paul Giacomin
01 Jul 2021 - 30 Jun 2022
The aim of this project is to develop lead diabetes drug candidates from hookworm saliva and build a package for multinational commercial investment. The project aims to deliver the following outcomes: 1. Screen a synthetic hookworm library (consisting of hundreds of hookworm proteins) for anti-inflammatory activity and express lead candidates using pharmaceutical industry standard techniques. 2. Assess efficacy of leads in mouse models of diet-induced T2D. 3. Understand the mechanism of lead drug action and prioritize candidates for progression into clinical development. 4. Set the scene for a burgeoning biotech industry in Northern Australia that is differentiated from those in the south, and indeed globally, by capitalizing on the unique biodiversity of the region and the therapeutic opportunities it presents.
Hookworm therapy for restoring tolerance in coeliac disease (Old ID 22142)
Paul Giacomin
01 Oct 2016 - 30 Mar 2018
Parasitic worms have an amazing ability to manipulate the immune system, and our research group recently discovered how they may hold the key for treating inflammatory diseases such as Coeliac Disease. The aim of our reseach is to further develop this novel therapy in a clinical trial and study the mechanism of how worms control the immune response, including identifying the molecules that the work produces that could be produced as a pill-based medication for treating coeliac disease.
Hookworm therapy for Coeliac Disease: A randomised, double blink, placebo-controlled clinical trial (Old ID 22151)
Paul Giacomin
01 Jan 2016 - 30 Apr 2021
Parasitic worms have an amazing ability to manipulate the immune system, and our research group recently discovered how they may hold the key for treating inflammatory diseases such as Coeliac Disease. The aim of this research is to further develop this novel therapy in a clinical trial and study the mechanism of how worms control the immune response, including identifying the molecules that the worm produces that could be produced as a pill-based medication for treating coeliac disease.
Preclinical evaluation of novel drug lead compounds discovered from Wet Tropics plant (Old ID 28949)
Paul Giacomin
01 Jan 2023 - 15 Sep 2025
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects 1 in 250 Australians including the people living in Far North Queensland (FNQ). There is no cure for this debilitating disease. Inspired by the Wet Tropics, we have isolated two compounds that demonstrated strong in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. A provisional patent has been approved for these two compounds. To further develop them into the marketable drug lead candidates, this proposed project will endeavor to achieve preclinical evaluation of these two novel compounds using the two commonly used animal models of IBD- Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) and T cell transfer models of colitis.
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01 Jan 2016
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01 Jan 2019
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