A NSW Government website

On

Clinical Immunology Research

Selected Grants

Amount awarded Grant and project details
US$13,100,000 NIH, 2022-2027

Advancing Vaccine Adjuvant Research for Tuberculosis Contract.

Investigators: Britton WJ, Izzo A, Triccas JA
$4,248,555 MRFF, 2020-2024

Pathway to the Elimination of Antibiotic-Resistant and Latent Tuberculosis in the Pacific: the PEARL study

Investigators: Marais B, Britton WJ, Marks GB, Fox G, Saunders BM, Trauer J, Viney K
$2,752,967 MRFF, 2023-2025

Comparing Immunisation-boosting Regimens for COVID-19 Upon Initiation of immunosuppressive Therapies (CIRCUIT Study).

Investigators: Lee FJ
$2,497,940 NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence, 2018-2023

Centre of Research Excellence in Tuberculosis Control on both sides of the border

Investigators: Britton WJ, Marais B, Marks GB, Fox G, Graham S, McBryde E, Sintchenko V, Triccas JA, Saunders BM, Denholm J
$2,000,000 Cancer Council of NSW, 2018-2023

2018 Pathways to a Cancer-Free Future “Cellular immuno-gene therapy for pancreatic cancer” 

Investigator: Adelstein S
$1,556,560 MRFF, 2021-2023

A single dose, globally accessible vaccine to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants

Investigators: Britton WJ (CII)
$1,059,315 The Philip Bushell Foundation, 2019-2023

New vaccines and biomarkers for the control of Tuberculosis

Investigators: Britton WJ, Triccas JA, Fox G
$995,867 NSW Health COVID-19 Vaccine Acceleration Research Grant, 2023-2024

Nasal delivered COVID vaccine to block transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Investigators: Britton WJ, Ashhurst A, Johansen M, Payne RP, Young P, Hansbro P Triccas JA. Steain N, Byrne S, Turville S.
$896,784 NHMRC Ideas Grant, 2022-2024

Defining the impact of chronic lung disease on COVID-19 and developing effective therapies

Investigators: Britton WJ, Hansbro N, Johansen M, Idrees S.
$352,879 NSW Dust Diseases Board, 2023-2024

Defining new and effective therapies against the pathogenesis of accelerated silicosis.

Investigators: Hansbro P, Britton WJ, Chambers D, Quan D, Troy L, Corte T, Hansbro N, Gang L.
€200,023 Leprosy Research Initiative (Holland), 2022-2025

The COMBINE study: Defining the impact of combined community-wide screening and mass chemoprophylaxis for leprosy in Kiribati: a prospective community implementation study.

Investigators: Chambers S, Britton WJ, Tomlinson J, Marais B, Marks GB, Priest P, Ioteba N, Maribo, Cunanan A, Hill J, Coleman M.
$135,000 NHMRC, 2023-2025

Postgraduate Research Scholarship.

Investigator: Stoyanov A
$75,000 University of Sydney Drug Discovery Initiative, 2023

Nasal delivered COVID vaccine to block transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Investigators: Ashhurst A, Byrne S, Payne RP, Britton WJ, Young P, Steain M.
$25,000 RCPA Foundation, 2023

Postgraduate Research Fellowship.

Investigator: Stoyanov A
$10,000 RCPA Foundation, 2023

Research Grant-in-Aid.

Investigator: Urriola N

Our Publications

2022

Albariqi AH, Wang Y, Chang RYK, Quan DH, Wang X, Kalfas S, Drago J, Britton WJ, Chan H-K.  (2022) Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Inhaled Ivermectin in Mice as a Potential COVID-19 Treatment. International Journal of Pharmaceutics May 10; 619:121688.  Doi;10.1089/jamp.2021.0059. PMID 35314278. 
Albariqi AH, Wei-Ren, Khanal D, Kalfas S, Tang P, Britton WJ, Drago J, Chan HK.  Preparation and characterization of inhalable ivermectin powders for potential COVID-19 Treatment. (2022) J. Aerosol Medicine & Pulmonary Drug Delivery 35(5): 239-251. 
Ashhurst AS, Johansen MD, Maxwell JWC, Stockdale S, Ashley CL, Aggarwal A, Siddiquee R, Mackay JP, Counoupas C, Byrne SN, Turville S, Steain M, Triccas JA, Hansbro PM, Payne RJ, Britton WJ. (2022) Mucosal TLR2-activating protein-based vaccination induces potent pulmonary immunity and protection against SARS-CoV-2 in mice. Nature Communications 13 (1):1-18. Pub 22/11/2022. Research Square doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1179181/v1. 
Bradhurst, P. & Urriola, N. Arthritis Mutilans in Jo1 Antisynthetase Syndrome. J Rheumatology jrheum.220885 (2022) doi:10.3899/jrheum.220885.
Callum J, Nguyen PTB, Martinez E, Van-Anh T. Nguyen, Frances Garden, Nhung V. Nguyen, Thu-Anh Nguyen, Hoa B. Nguyen, Son V. Nguyen, Khanh B. Luu, Jennifer Ho, Nguyen N. Linh, Britton WJ, Sintchecnko V, Fox G, Marks GB.   Prevalence and genetic basis of first line drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Ca Mau, Vietnam (2022) ERJ Open Research Oct 1, 8(3):00122-2022. DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00122-2022.  
Caterson, H. C., Xu, G., Adelstein, S. & Puranik, R. A Diagnosis That a Cardiologist Should Not MIS: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults. Hear Lung Circulation (2022) doi:10.1016/j.hlc.2022.08.014.
Chan DKY, Braidy N, Chen RF, Xu YH, Bentley S, Lubomski M, Davis RL, Chen J, Sue CM, Mellick GD. Strong Predictive Algorithm of Pathogenesis-Based Biomarkers Improves Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis. Mol Neurobiol. 2022 Mar; 59(3):1476-1485. doi: 10.1007/s12035-021-02604-6. Epub 2022 Jan 7 PMID: 34993845.
Chan DKY; Chen J; Chen RF; Parikh J; Xu YH; Silburn PA; Mellick GD, 2022, 'Plasma biomarkers inclusive of α-synuclein/amyloid-beta40 ratio strongly correlate with Mini-Mental State Examination score in Parkinson’s disease and predict cognitive impairment', Journal of Neurology, vol. 269, pp. 6377 -6385, 
Chen R, Luo I, Rae M, Huang S. A cost-effective sample pooling strategy for line blot assay in detecting onconeural antibodies. J Immunol Methods. 2022 Feb 10;503:113235. doi: 10.1016/j.jim.2022.113235. Epub 2022 Feb 10. PMID: 35151664.
Chen S, Quan DH, Sam G, Wang XT, Ozberk V, Halfmann P, Pandey M, Good MF, Kawaoka Y, Britton WJ, Rehm BHA. (2022) Engineered CRM197 particles as versatile vaccine platform technology. Small. Dec 23, 2022; e2205819.  doi: 
Coleman M, Hill, J, Timeon E, Tonganibeia A, Eromanga B, Islam T,]Trauer JM, Christensen A, Fox GF, Marks GB, Britton WJ, Marais BJ. (2022) Population-wide active case finding and prevention for tuberculosis and leprosy elimination in Kiribati - the PEARL study protocol. BMJ Open April 1; 12 (4): e055295. 
Coleman, M, Christensen, A. Hill, J. Temareti, M. Timeon, E, Fox, GJ; Britton, WJ, Marais, B. (2022). Maximising the sharing and reuse of project-specific resources. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Oct 1, 26(10): 910-913.  doi.org/10.5588/ijtld.22.0360 
Counoupas C, Pino P, Stella AO, Ashley C, Lukeman H, Bhattacharyya ND, Tada T, Anchisi S, Metayer C, Martinis J, Aggarwal A, Kint J, Britton WJ, D’costa BM, Wurm MJ, Landau NR, Steain M, Turville SG, Wurm F, David SA, Triccas JA. (2022) High-titre neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant induced by Alhydroxyquim-II-adjuvanted trimeric spike antigens. Microbiology Spectrum Feb 16; 10(1):e0169521. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01695-21. 
Daniel L, Bhattacharyya N, Counoupas C, Cai Y, Chen X, Triccas JA, Britton WJ, Feng CG. (2022) Stromal structure remodelling by B lymphocytes limits T cell activation in lymph node of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected mice. J. Clinical Investigation Nov 1; 2022; 132(21):e157873. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI157873. 
Hanna CC, Maxwell JWC, Ismanto HS, Ashhurst AS, Artner LM, Rudrawar S, Britton WJ, Yamasaki S, Payne RJ.. (2022) Synthetic Vaccines Targeting Mincle Through Conjugation of Trehalose Dibehenate. Chemical Communications 2022 Jun 16;58(49):6890-6893. doi: 10.1039/d2cc02100e.PMID: 35638863 
Hawkins PME, , Hoi DM, Cheung C-Y, Quan D, Wang T, Sasi VN, Liu DY, Linington RG, Jackson CJ, Oehlers SH, Cook GM, Britton WJ, Clausen T, Payne RJ. (2022) Potent Antimycobacterials Targeting the Chaperone ClpC1 Based on the Depsipeptide Natural Products Ecumicin and Ohmyungsamycin A. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Mar 16, 65 (6) 4893-4908. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02122. PMID: 35293761. 
Heynemann, S, Vanguru, V, Adelstein, S, Kao, S. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in a patient with oncogene-addicted metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following combination chemotherapy-immunotherapy. Asia-Pac J Clin Oncol. 2022; 1- 4. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajco.13906
Hortle E, Tran LV, Fontaine ARM, Pinello N, Wong JJ-L, Britton WJ, Oehlers SH. (2022) OXSR1 inhibits inflammasome activation by limiting potassium efflux during mycobacterial infection. Life Science Alliance May 11;5(9):e202201476. doi: 10.26508/lsa.202201476. Print 2022 Sep. PMID: 35545295. 
Johansen M; Mahbub R; Idrees S; Nguyen D; Pathinayake P; Nichol K; Hansbro N; Gearing L; Hertzog P; Gallego-Ortega D; Britton W; Saunders B; Wark P; Faiz A; Hansbro P. (2022). Increased SARS-CoV-2 infection, protease and inflammatory responses in COPD primary bronchial epithelial cells defined with single cell RNA-sequencing. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine May 12. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202108-1901OC. Online ahead of print. PMID: 35549656. 
Kam JK, Wright K, Britton WJ, Oehlers SH (2022) Treatment of infection-induced vascular pathologies is protective against persistent rough morphotype Mycobacterium abscessus infection in zebrafish. Microbial Pathogenesis May 16;167:105590. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105590. PMID: 35588967. 
Kam JY, Cheng T, Garland DC, Britton WJ, Tobin DM, Oehlers SH. (2022) Inhibition of infection-induced vascular permeability modulates host leukocyte recruitment to Mycobacterium marinum granulomas in zebrafish. Pathogens and Disease Apr 29; 80(1):009. doi: 10.1093/femspd/ftac009.PMID: 35438161. 
Kam JY, Hortle E, Krogman E, Warner SE, Cholan PM, Kikuch Ki, Triccas JA, Britton WJ, Johansen MD, Kremer L, Oehlers SH. (2022). Rough and smooth variant Mycobacterium abscessus infections are differentially controlled by host immunity during chronic infection. Nature Communications Feb 17, 13(1):1-11. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28638-5. PMID: 35177649  
Luo I, Bradhurst P, Chen R.  Intravenous immunoglobulin infusion contributes to a high incidence of false reactive screen results for human T-lymphotropic virus. Pathology. 2022 Oct;54(6):768-771. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2022.02.003. Epub 2022 May 6. PMID: 35534285.
Luo KY, Ogawa M; Ayer A, Britton WJ, Stocker R, Kikuchi K, Oehlers SH. (2022) Zebrafish heme oxygenase 1a is necessary for normal development and macrophage migration. Zebrafish Feb 2, 19(1):7-17. doi: 10.1089/zeb.2021.0058. PMID: 35108124 
Luo, K, Stocker R, Britton WJ, Kikuchi K, Oehlers SH. (2022) Heme oxygenase limits Mycobacterium marinum infection-induced detrimental ferrostatin-sensitive cell death in zebrafish. FEBS Journal Feb. 289 (3):671-678. doi: 10.1111/febs.16209. PMID: 34544203. Editors’s choice paper. 
Nisa A, Counoupas C, Pinto R, Britton WJ, Triccas JA. (2022) Characterization of the protective immune responses conferred by recombinant BCG overexpressing components of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Sec protein export system. Vaccines 2022, 10(6): 945; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10060945 PMID: 35746553 (epub 14/6/2022). 
Pittet LF, Fritschi N, Tebruegge M, Dutta B, Donath S, Messin NK, Casalaz D, Hanekom WA, Britton WJ, Robins-Browne R, Curtis N, Ritz R,* and the BCG Immune Response Study (BIRS) group. (2022) To scar or not to scar? Scar formation following infant immunisation with bacille Calmette-Guérin is associated with enhanced Mycobacterium-specific T-cell responses. Am J Respir Crit Care Med (pub 10/1/2022). 205(7):830-8. doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202108-1892OC. PubMed: 35007188. 
Quan D, Kwong AJ, Hansbro P, Britton WJ. (2022) No smoke without fire. Impact of cigarette smoking on the immune control of tuberculosis European Respiratory Reviews. 2022 Jun 7;31(164):210252. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0252-2021. PMID: 35675921  IF 12.34 
Raubinger S, Lee FJ, Pinto AN. HIV: the changing paradigm. Intern Med J. 2022;52:542-549.
Richardson A, Chu S, Agapides M, Adelstein S, Wallman L, Wienholt L. Gluten - free diet adherence and implications for the diagnosis of coeliac disease. Pathology. 2022; (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pathol.2021.12.297)
Rowe, S., Spies, J. M. & Urriola, N. Severe treatment-refractory antibody positive autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy after mRNA COVID19 vaccination. Autoimmun Rev 103201 (2022) doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2022.103201
Stewart E, Counoupas C, Johansen MD, Nguyen DH, Miemczyk S, Hansbro NG, Ferrell K, Ashhurst A, Sibel Alca S, Steain M, Ashley C, Britton WJ, Hansbro PM, Petrovsky N, Triccas JA. (2022) Mucosal immunization with a delta-inulin adjuvanted recombinant spike vaccine elicits lung-resident immune memory and protects mice against SARS-CoV-2. Mucosal Immunology 15(6):1405-1415. Pub online 22/11/2022 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-022-00578-9 PMID: 36411332 
Stoyanov, A., Toong, C., Kong, Y., Chen, R. & Urriola, N. Serum protein electrophoresis and rheumatoid factor analysis is an effective screening strategy for cryoglobulinaemia. Pathology (2022) doi:10.1016/j.pathol.2022.09.004.
Urriola, N., Blazek, K., Adelstein, S. (2022)  Subunit - specific autoantibodies in autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy.  Journal of Neuroimmunology, 363, art. no. 57780  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroim.2021.577805
Vanka KS, Shukla S, Gomez H, Kumar V, James C, Palanisami T, Williams K, Chambers DC, Britton WJ, Ilic D, Hansbro PM*, Horvat J*. (2022) Understanding the Pathogenesis of Occupational Dust Diseases; Resurgence of An Historic Problem. European Respiratory Reviews. Jul 12;31(165):210250. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0250-2021. PMID: 35831008  
Velan K, Nguyen,VN, Nguyen BH, Dang T, Nguyen HA, Vu DH, Do TT Duc CP, Nguyen HL, Pham HT, Marais BJ, Johnston J, Britton W, Beardsley J, Negin J, Wiseman V, Marks, GB, Nguyen TA, Fox  GF. (2022). Harnessing new mHealth technologies to Strengthen the Management of Drug-resistant Tuberculosis in Vietnam (V-SMART trial): a protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMJ Open 2022; June 8, 12: e052633. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052633. 
Wang Y, Chang YK, Britton WJ, Chan H-K. (2022) Inhalational delivery of antimicrobial proteins and peptides to treat lung infections. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. 2021, Nov 20; 180: 114066. PMID 34813794.  doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.114066. IF 13.3. 
Wei X, Chen R, Yang C, Nguyen K, Wakefield DImproved diagnostic performance of confirmatory assays for detecting dense fine speckled (DFS) 70 antibodies. Pathology. 2022 Dec;54(7):904-909. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2022.05.010. Epub 2022 Jul 19. PMID: 35995618.