Griffith University has announced its medical researchers are ‘on the brink’ of an effective treatment for the deadly Hendra virus and its closely related Nipah virus.

 

Griffith University Associate Professor Nigel McMillan said that the recent funding awarded from the Federal Government would allow for significant progress to be made in combating the virus.

 

The Griffith University research team, in collaboration with CSIRO, is developing a new therapy that attacks the virus by turning off a vital gene. Team leader, Associate Professor McMillan said the beauty of the treatment is that it is very simple.

 

“We have already been able to reduce Hendra virus in cells by 99.99% within a laboratory, and we have found the treatment is highly effective in very low doses,” Associate Professor McMillan said.

 

“We have also developed a novel way of delivering the therapy through what we call “stealth liposomes”, which will safely take the treatment to where it needs to go in the body.”