Australias proud history of innovation

Australians have always been great innovators, particularly in the fields of health and biomedical sciences. Dominic Cadden looks at just some of the modern Australian innovations that have had a significant impact on healthcare around the world.
SPINA BIFIDA PREVENTION RELENZA ANTI-FLU MEDICATION
Flu virus has a part of its molecule that doesnt change through different generations. That was the key element for researchers trying to develop a treatment for flu, a common viral disease. CSIRO Division of Protein Chemistry was responsible for the achievement of the anti-flu drug Relenza. The use of the medication, after many tests, was finally approved for human use. Biota Holdings gave funds to its development, and the product was later manufactured by Glaxo Australia. In 2000, the drug was approved for release and today it is used in more than 50 countries. Relenza was the first of a new generation of drugs that acted to prevent the spread of infection from one cell to another within the respiratory tract.

Australian innovation in healthcare

Dr Fiona Stanley discovered a lowcost prevention against this serious birth defect that can affect the legs and feet, bowel, bladder and brain: folate. Its easy to find folate is the naturally occurring form of folic acid or vitamin B9 found in many vegetable, fortified grain products and seeds, but folate tablets are also readily available. Increased folate intake one month before conception and daily during the first three months of pregnancy can prevent up to 70 per cent of spina bifida cases, and this knowledge has seen spina bifida cases in newborns plummet across the world.

Counting areas of influenza virus growth in cell culture, a technique for assessing efficacy of anti-influenza drug Relenza.
Credit: CSIRO Molecular & Health Technologies

COCHLEAR IMPLANT
The cochlear implant has helped thousands of people to hear clearly again. When used with a microphone and speech processor, the implant electrically stimulates the auditory nerve and results in the person being able to hear sound. After years of research and improvements, enough funds were raised to make and test a prototype of Professor Graeme Clarks

The interaction of the anti-influenza drug Relenza, buried in the active site pocket of influenza virus neuraminidase protein. Credit: CSIRO Molecular & Health Technologies

INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE & MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

Australian innovation in healthcare

THE FIRST GENETICALLYMODIFIED STRAIN OF MALARIA

Scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, led by Professor Alan Cowman, were the first to develop a genetically-modified strain of malaria. The Plasmodium falciparum, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for the highest mortality rates of malaria. By removing two of its key genes, the researchers successfully modified the parasite genetically so that it can be used in the development of vaccines without the risk of malaria infection. The vaccine it is still being tested with trials in humans at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland, USA.

has four valves and if even one fails, it has to be replaced. Dr Chang was concerned about the lack of organ donors and consequently began work on an artificial heart before his death.

SPRAY-ON SKIN
In 1992, plastic surgeon Dr Fiona Wood saw a school teacher at Perth Hospital with petrol burns to 90 per cent of her body. At the time, skin culturing technology took 21 days to develop enough skin to cover major burns. Dr Wood developed techniques that cut this to just five days, which sped up healing and significantly reduced scarring. The Bali bombings of 2002

An Audio Processor with earmould for Electric Acoustic Stimulation (the use of a hearing aid and a cochlear implant together in the same ear) worn by user.

invention. The commercialisation of the product began with the introduction of Nucleus(r) 22 in 1983, after a partnership between University of Melbourne, Nucleus and the Federal Government. This collaboration led to the creation of Cochlear Pty Ltd, an Australian company specialising in the cochlear implant.

PLASTIC ROD BONE REPAIR

By 1991, Dr Michael Ryan and Dr Stephen Ruff at Sydneys North Shore Hospital perfected a method to use plastic rods to repair bones instead of metal pins and screws, which caused interference with MRI and CAT scans. Today there are several different types of plastic screws used in orthopaedic surgery. Some of these are even absorbed into the body during healing, as opposed to metal screws, which often have to be surgically removed.

Ring forms of the Plasmodium falciparum (malaria) parasite, inside red blood cells.
Credit: MichaelZahniser

ST VINCENTS HEART VALVE

This artificial heart valve has saved hundreds of lives in Australia and South-East Asia since it was developed in the early 1990s, thanks to work initiated by the late Dr Victor Chang. A human heart

occurred before this process could be clinically evaluated, but several of the worst victims were flown to Perth Hospital for treatment, where Dr Woods pioneering technique substantially reduced the death toll among these horrific burns cases.

INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE & MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

Australian innovation in healthcare

by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and after parallel research with their American counterparts, Professor Ian Frazer and others at the University of Queensland developed a vaccine against the virus. The HPV vaccine became available in Australia in 2007.

INSULIN GEL
Australia is giving diabetics the world over a chance for life without the needle. In 2010 Melbourne company Phosphagenics will conduct second phase of human trials for a form of insulin that can be absorbed through the skin. That means that for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes sufferers a slow-release insulin patch could cut the need for or even replace needles.

PILLCAM
Dr Andre Chong and his team of researchers at St Vincents Hospital in Melbourne made a 27mm-long capsule housing a tiny camera. A quick swallow can now often replace the need for uncomfortable colonoscopies and endoscopies, and it does a better job than either of investigating the notoriously difficult-to-visualise small intestine. Every half-second the capsule transmits digital images to a recording device. Since

widespread use began in 2003, this has been a blessing for people with obscure gastro-intestinal bleeding or suspected small bowel Crohns disease.

RECALDENT
More than 15 years of research at Melbourne University led to the development of Recaldent. Professor Eric Reynolds, Head of the School of Dental Science, wanted to find a way that calcium and phosphate from cows milk could repair damaged tooth enamel. His team of researchers came up with a compound derived from milk proteins that could bind to teeth and provide a reservoir of calcium and phosphate on the tooths surface that could be absorbed by the tooth enamel. Today, Recaldent is incorporated into products such as chewing gum, toothpaste and mouthwash.

HPV VACCINE
Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women worldwide, but Australia helped cut down this scourge of womens health. About 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases are caused

SOLARSCAN
Solarscan completely swung the battle against skin cancer. Developed in 1998 through Polartechnics Ltd, the Sydney Melanoma Unit and the CSIRO, the Solarscan quickly detect melanomas. A camera takes a

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INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE & MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

Australian innovation in healthcare

second sprints on a stationary bike followed by 12 seconds of cycling lightly produced much better results than the typical, steady-pace, low intensity 40 minute workout, and researchers suggested this format would also work for other cardio activities. Chemical compounds called catecholamines are produced from interval sprinting, and its thought that these drive the greater weight loss.

CADUCEUS
Dr Kim Branson was a PhD student at CSIRO Health Sciences

& Nutrition and the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute (University of Melbourne) when he designed and built the Caduceus supercomputer in 2000. Sixty-four computers linked together in a Beowulf cluster (high-performance parallel computing clusters of inexpensive personal computer hardware) form Caduceus, which designs and evaluate new drugs by screening millions of chemical compounds from a variety of sources to then identify possible drugs. Not only is the process incredibly fast, it also replaces labour-intensive lab testing.

picture of a suspicious spot and stores the image on a computer, where it is magnified and enhanced to remove hairs and oil. Special software analyses the image against a databank to determine whether the spot it is likely to be a melanoma.

ULTRA-SHORT INTERVAL TRAINING

The Garvan Institute and the University of NSW worked together to devise a 20-minute workout that changed the way many think about fat loss training for the untrained or obese. The routine of eight-

The Beowulf cluster caduceus used for the identification of novel drugs in silico.
Credit: Mark Fergus, CSIRO Molecular & Health Technologies

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