genomics
Single-cell genomics
to combat inflammation Husband-and-wife team Marcel and Claudia Nold are using single-cell technologies to control inflammation — an important response to infection or injury which, nevertheless, can cause conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease if not carefully controlled.
“I
the molecular pathways by which the body mounts
Hertzog, single-cell genomics allows enables scientists
inflammatory responses.
to “isolate each individual cell from a diseased organ
“IL-37 has been shown to override the body’s destructive responses to injury and disease, and our
or tumour to establish which cells are actually causing the disease, or responding to a treatment”.
nflammation is a double-edged sword:
experiments will further probe how we can block or
“By allowing scientists to analyse the transcription
in many diseases, such as stroke, heart attacks and
mimic its function,” Associate Professor Nold said.
of thousands of genes at the single-cell level, the
autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s disease and lupus,
“We hope this discovery could be harnessed
technology enables researchers to identify different
the immune system’s responses are too strong and
to suppress inflammation in all different kinds of
cell types that have, until now, remained out of
can wreak great havoc if not sufficiently contained,”
scenarios, from autoimmune diseases to the common
reach,” he said.
said Associate Professor Marcel Nold.
cold, and to unleash the immune system’s own desired
“Rampant, uncontrolled inflammation leads
and targeted attacks on various cancers.”
The Single Cell Genomics Centre was officially opened last month by Parliamentary Secretary for
to tissue damage, which, in the unfortunately not-
The Nolds’ research recently received a boost
Medical Research Frank McGuire, who toured
uncommon severe cases, can result in organ failure
from the inaugural $50,000 Fielding Innovation
the state-of-the-art facility to learn about the
and death.”
Award, which supports a Hudson Institute scientist
groundbreaking research being enabled by single-cell
Based at the Hudson Institute of Medical
who is producing major advancements in the
technology. The centre has also been named a Single
Research, the Nolds and their colleagues recently
commercialisation of their research. According to Dr
Cell Centre of Excellence by biotechnology company
discovered the mechanisms by which interleukin 37
Claudia Nold, the award will “greatly help us to get the
Fluidigm, making it the first facility in the Southern
(IL-37), a cytokine of the IL-1 family, acts to regulate
extensive amount of work done that our laboratory
Hemisphere to receive such an honour.
immune responses and to control inflammation in
needs to accomplish over the next 12 months and
The centre will this month relocate to the Monash
the body. Their study was published in the journal
beyond in order to take our findings through to a
Health Translational Research Facility (TRF) — the
Nature Immunology.
commercial stage”.
result of a partnership between the Hudson Institute,
The team found that, to achieve its powerful
The team’s next step will use single-cell
Monash Health and Monash University. The $87.5
protective effects, IL-37 uses a pair of very specific
technology, located at the Hudson Institute’s Single
million building will enable single-cell genomics
receptors on target cells. Binding of these two
Cell Genomics Centre, to analyse the activity of genes
research to be more actively translated into patient
receptors triggers IL-37 to instruct target cells to
controlling the receptor’s function. As noted by
treatments, with an entire floor dedicated to clinical
execute a cascade of events, which subdue some of
Hudson Institute Associate Director Professor Paul
trials.
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