Researchers at Perth's Telethon Kids Institute have begun a comprehensive research project into vaccines aimed at tackling rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease and a range of serious infections caused by the bacterium group A streptococcus.
It's part of a major Trans-Tasman partnership - a collaboration between the UWA affiliated Telethon Kids Institute, University of Auckland and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne - to fast track development of a vaccine and assess the most cost-effective treatments. Collaborators recently had their first planning meeting.
Rheumatic fever is caused by infection with group A streptococcus (GAS) and recurrent episodes of GAS infection and rheumatic fever cause chronic damage to the heart valves known as rheumatic heart disease (RHD).
The GAS bacterium also causes serious bloodstream infections and flesh eating disease, kidney disease as well as sore throats and skin sores. It causes more than half a million deaths each year around the world.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as Maori populations, have some of the highest rates of RHD and other GAS diseases in the world.
The project called CANVAS (Coalition to Advance New Vaccines Against Group A Streptococcus) is funded jointly by a 2013 commitment between the Australian and New Zealand governments.
Institute Director and RHD expert Professor Jonathan Carapetis said the project will support the development of a vaccine against GAS as well as help to choose the best vaccine for the region.
"There are three main components to the project - the first includes developing a panel of the most common GAS strains, the second takes three candidate GAS vaccines and tests them against the strain panel, and the third is conducting an economic analysis to evaluate if a vaccine approach is feasible," said Professor Carapetis.
"Telethon Kids will coordinate the Australian component of the partnership, and lead the economic analysis which will be the most comprehensive ever conducted."
The analysis will look at the economic viability of a GAS vaccine against other options including treating sore throats caused by GAS, monthly antibiotic treatment for those considered at high risk, or open heart surgery in those affected by RHD.
This project sits within the Telethon Kids Institute's Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, which brings together researchers and clinicians to deliver new vaccines, diagnostic tests and devices.