AUSTRALIA | Funding has been allocated for Parkinson's and venom-based injuries, comprising 24 new areas of focus for the Government.
The search for venom-based treatments and better treatment for Parkinson’s disease and lung cancer are three projects sharing in AUD 72 million in health research funding from the Australian Government.
With the aim to achieve better health outcomes in Australia and the region, 24 research projects will be supported as part of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) grant scheme including the University of Queensland’s ‘Curse & Cure: The Deadly Venom Project’.
Led by Professor Irina Vetter, the project will aim to understand how Australia’s venomous animals and plants simultaneously pose both health risks and medical opportunities and potential cures.
Venoms cause significant public health challenges, especially in rural and Indigenous communities, yet they also contain biologically active molecules with incredible therapeutic potential to treat diseases.
Professor Vetter’s Deadly Venom Project will combine entrenched knowledge from First Nations people and cutting-edge science to address venomous bites and stings and develop venom-based treatments.
Health Minister Mark Butler said this was a step forward for healthcare.
“The Albanese Government in investing in Australia’s world-class researchers to solve some of the hardest problems in health,” said Minister Butler.
“The Deadly Venom Project will use our natural resources to develop health treatments for Australians.”
Professor Vetter said venom-related injuries are a significant public health challenge, especially in rural and remote communities.
“Whilst they are rarely lethal, envenomation can lead to serious health impacts. But the same venoms also hold incredible therapeutic promise. The Deadly Venom Project aims to bridge the gap between venom's health risks and its therapeutic potential,” said Professor Vetter.
“With a particular focus on the needs of Indigenous communities, our researchers will collaborate with knowledge holders and healthcare providers. By combining traditional ecological knowledge with cutting-edge science, the program seeks to develop treatments for diseases that disproportionately affect communities, leveraging the unique properties of venoms for the development of novel therapeutics.”
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