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| A/Professor Michael Gantier |
Associate Professor Gantier’s research interests encompass many aspects of how nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) modulate immune responses. This work has led to the discovery of structural and sequence determinants of RNA which underlie their capacity to activate, or inhibit immune responses, or be used as novel disease biomarkers.
A/Prof Gantier’s work provides the foundation for the rational design of molecular therapeutics for cancer and autoinflammatory diseases.
In November this year, a new Australian drug development company was formed between Noxopharm Limited (ASX:NOX), Australian National University and Hudson Institute, with A/Prof Gantier contributing essential expertise on the STING signalling pathway to the venture. The company, Pharmorage Pty Ltd, is focused primarily on developing a better treatment for septic shock, a major and highly underserved condition within the community. This development follows a long-standing collaboration between A/Prof Gantier and Noxopharm Limited, which has included in October the start of a clinical trial of a potential COVID-19 treatment discovered by A/Prof Gantier to have potent anti-inflammatory activity.
A/Prof Gantier’s work is also directly pertinent to the new classes of RNA vaccines being produced for COVID-19 by Moderna or BioNTech, which require engagement of RNA by specific immune sensors for long-lasting immune protection.
"The promotion acknowledges the body of fundamental research in innate immunity my team and I have been conducting at Hudson Institute for the past 14 years, through my journey as a postdoc, and then junior lab head. At a personal level, it coincides with an exciting time since my fundamental research is being translated to treat patients, and the first RNA vaccines are being rolled out to stop the pandemic. I hope this recognition will help raise awareness for our fundamental work, and its importance in the medical landscape."
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