The Inflammation Biology Group uses mouse models of arboviral diseases to gain new insights into immunopathology and to test and develop new interventions.
The group has over 25 years of activity in improving our understanding of the immunopathogenesis and clinical management of the arthritic diseases cause by alphaviruses such as chikungunya virus and Ross River virus. The group developed the first adult wild-type mouse model of chikungunya virus arthritis and has used these models to gain new insights into the factors that contribute to viral infection and inflammatory disease. The models are also used in collaboration with industry to test potential new interventions (e.g. vaccines, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-viral drugs).
The group recently developed mouse models of Zika virus fetal brain infection (in females) and testes damage (in males) and have used these to gain new insights into Zika virus pathology as well as testing new Zika virus vaccines.
- Why vaccinate? : QIMR Berghofer Schools Education Program presentation (PDF) [2018].
- A generative compliance culture : Presentation at the Association for Biosafety of Australia and New Zealand (PDF) [2017].
- EDITORIAL: Are Impact Factors corrupting truth and utility in biomedical research? (PDF) [2013].
- Research and development on chikungunya : Article in International Innovation (PDF) [2013].
- Queensland researchers fight to repel new mozzie threat: ABC 730 Report [2013].
- As humanity destroys the planet, will the planet fight back with disease or will it be concreted over before it gets the chance? : Woodford presentation (PDF) [2012].
- Biomedical Biotech Research in Queensland: Austrade’s BioLuncheon Series, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany. (PDF) [2012].
Publications
- Prow NA, Liu L, Nakayama E, Cooper TH, Yan K, Eldi P, Hazlewood JE, Tang B, Le TT, Setoh YX, Khromykh AA, Hobson-Peters J, Diener KR, Howley PM, Hayball JD, Suhrbier A. A vaccinia-based single vector construct multi-pathogen vaccine protects against both Zika and chikungunya viruses. Nature Communications 9(1):1230.
- Prow NA, Tang B, Gardner J, Le TT, Taylor A, YS, Nakayama E, Hirata TDC, Nakaya HI, Slonchak A, Mukhopadhyay P, Mahalingam S, Schroder WA, Klimstra W, Suhrbier A. Lower temperatures reduce type I interferon activity and promote alphaviral arthritides. PloS Pathogens 13(12):e1006788.
- Zakrzewski M, Rasic G, Darbro J, Krause L, Poo YS, Filipovic I, Parry R, Asgari S, Devine G, Suhrbier A. Mapping the virome in wild-caught Aedes aegypti from Cairns and Bangkok. Scientific Reports 8(1):4690.
- Wilson JAC, Prow NA, Schroder WA, Ellis JJ, Cumming HE, Gearing LJ, Poo YS, Taylor A, Hertzog PJ, Di Giallonardo F, Hueston L, Le Grand R, Tang B, Le TT, Gardner J, Mahalingam S, Roques P, Bird PI, Suhrbier A. 2017. RNA-Seq analysis of chikungunya virus infection and identification of granzyme A as a promoter of arthritic inflammation. PloS Pathogens 13(2):e1006155.
