Professor Axel Kallies, Dr. Diana Hansen and Associate Professor Wei Shi (L-R) (IMAGE)
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A discovery about how the immune system responds to malaria infection could lead to better treatments for hepatitis C, HIV and lupus, say Melbourne researchers. The research team showed, in laboratory models, that strong inflammatory signals caused by malaria infection activate molecules that trigger the production of highly potent antibodies to fight the disease. The same inflammatory signals are seen in human malaria infections, chronic viral infections and autoimmunity. This suggests the discovery could be harnessed to develop new vaccines and therapies that are better able to fight infections such as hepatitis C and HIV, and treat diseases such as lupus. The research was led by Dr Diana Hansen (centre) from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, with collaborators Professor Axel Kallies (left) from the Doherty Institute and Associate Professor Wei Shi (right) from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.
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Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
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