2019 CCS research highlights: Department of Infectious Diseases

L-R: A/Prof Edwina Wright, Prof Anton Peleg

Monash University's Central Clinical School is at the cutting edge of medical research in national and international arenas. We are publishing a series of our research highlights from across 2019.

In this article, we feature a highlight from the Department of Infectious Diseases.

• PrEPX study highlights need for greater STI testing
• Researchers crack superbug’s strategy for survival

Assoc. Professor Edwina Wright.
Image: ABC

i. PrEPX study highlights need for greater STI testing

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) has been proven to be a highly effective form of HIV prevention that can reduce HIV transmission by up to 99 per cent for those at risk of infection, a game-changer in the battle against HIV. A Central Clinical School study however revealed a 20% increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among gay and bisexual men using the treatment.

The PrEPX Study, led by Associate Professor Edwina Wright in the Department of Infectious Diseases, collated data from nearly 3,000 participants. Interestingly, it found that condom use did not play a significant part in acquiring an STI when using PrEP.

The study, published in the Journal of the Medical American Association found that participants reporting having higher numbers of casual sex partners and participating in group sex were at greater risk.

The rise in STIs reinforces the importance of frequent testing among men using PrEP.

“The findings are also important because they highlight the need to target our sexual health messaging about STI risks to a relatively small proportion of PrEP users to help reduce their STI rates,” Associate Professor Wright said. “We need to address these findings by engaging in more research to prevent STIs including STI vaccines and antibiotics that may prevent STIs.”

See more detail in our feature.

Professor Anton Peleg is last author on the
MRSA study

ii. Researchers crack superbug’s strategy for survival

The common yet potentially fatal Staphylococcus aureus (Golden Staph) is one of the most significant and perplexing superbugs.

Around a quarter of the 7000 cases of S. aureus bloodstream infections occurring in Australia each year are caused by infections resistant to the antibiotic methicillin, meaning treatment of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) increasingly relies on last-line antibiotics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed MRSA as a ‘high-priority’ pathogen. New antimicrobial agents are urgently needed to counter it. 

A multidisciplinary study led by Monash University scientists has revealed a novel strategy used by S. aureus to evade last-line antibiotics and the host immune system during a life-threatening infection.

Professor Anton Peleg, from Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) and Central Clinical School’s Department of Infectious Diseases, led the study, together with postdoctoral research fellow Dr Jhih-Hang Jiang.

It found the superbug rapidly adapts its bacterial membrane to circumvent antibiotic and immune killing. The findings potentially point to a new therapeutic target for this significant bacterial pathogen.

The study was performed in close collaboration with other Monash researchers including Dr Hsin-Hui Shen at Monash BDI, and Professor Graham Lieschke at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute.