© Allied MediaUniversity of Otago researchers (from left) Prof Michelle Glass, Dr Nicholas Fleming, Dr Magdalena Ratajska, Associate Prof Daniel Pletzer, Dr Cushla McKinney and Associate Prof Adele Woolley have received Otago Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) grants to turn ideas into discoveries with national and international impact. Photo: Gregor Richardson New synthetic stimulant drugs are increasingly appearing in New Zealand and are often sold as other recreational drugs, making them particularly dangerous. University of Otago School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology researcher Prof Michelle Glass is about to conduct new research aimed at predicting harm from synthetic cathinones, which are man-made stimulant drugs, chemically related to a natural stimulant found in the East African khat plant. They are commonly known as “bath salts” and are designed to mimic illicit drugs such as cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine. Prof Glass’s research aims to develop a fast, low-cost laboratory test to predict how harmful newly emerging drugs are, as soon as they are detected. “The findings will help health professionals and harm-reduction services respond more quickly, improving public safety and helping reduce the risks these drugs pose to our communities,” she said. The research project is one of five University of Otago projects to receive Otago Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) grants, worth $40,000 each, for one year. OMRF engagement manager Tracey Fleet said the funding enabled researchers to test new ideas, generate early evidence and build the foundation needed to secure larger national and international research funding. “While we couldn’t support every project, we’re delighted to support five outstanding studies spanning a diverse range of health topics.” Since its establishment in 1967, the foundation has awarded more than $12 million in grants and scholarships, supporting generations of Otago researchers and students, and helping turn local ideas into discoveries with national and international impact. Other OMRF grant recipients were Otago pathology and molecular medicine researcher Dr Nicholas Fleming, who plans to investigate whether existing antiviral medicines could be combined with immunotherapy to make bowel cancer treatments more effective. “By repurposing medicines that are already available, this research could lead to new treatment options that improve survival and quality of life for people diagnosed with bowel cancer,” he said. Otago medical laboratory science researcher Dr Magdalena Ratajska received a grant to understand why a small number of women with ovarian cancer experience extraordinary long-term survival, while most do not. “Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynaecological cancer deaths in New Zealand. “By studying these exceptional survivors, researchers hope to uncover clues that will help identify which patients are most likely to respond to targeted treatments, ultimately improving outcomes and giving more women the chance of long-lasting remission.” Otago microbiology and immunology researcher Associate Prof Daniel Pletzer will use his grant to investigate how a dangerous hospital bacterium develops resistance to life-saving antibiotics. “By identifying ways to restore the effectiveness of these medicines, the project could help improve treatment options for patients with serious drug-resistant infections.” The fifth OMRF grant went to Otago pathology and molecular medicine researchers Dr Cushla McKinney and Associate Prof Adele Woolley, who will study hidden changes in proteins found in stomach cancer cells, to better understand why some patients respond differently to stomach cancer treatment. By identifying these unique protein variants in tumour samples, the team hopes to uncover new clues about how stomach cancer develops and progresses. It was hoped this early-stage research could pave the way for more personalised treatments and better outcomes for patients in the future. john.lewis@odt.co.nz
