Head

Dr Catherine (Kate) Cherry, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, Grad Dip (Clin Epi)

Staff

Senior Research Offficer: David Hooker, BSc, MSc
Research Assistant: Masqura Moborok, BSc(Hons)

Students
Ms Soula Fillipas (PhD canditate, DEPM, Monash University) Physical activity and HIV. C Cherry co-supervisor.

Ms Constance Chew (PhD candidate, University of Western Australia) Antiretroviral toxic neuropathy in HIV: genetic and other risk factors. C Cherry external supervisor.

Ms Josephine Jeremiah (BMedSci candidate, Monash University)
Neurological disease in HIV patients in Botswana. C Cherry supervisor.
 

Research Overview

The Neuropathy and Toxicity Laboratory is examining neuropathy (nerve damage in the feet – a common problem that causes pain and reduced quality of life) in HIV patients, as well as other side effects associated with HIV treatments. Our aim is to understand the cause of these problems so that we can find ways of preventing and treating them. Our work involves a mixture of clinical and laboratory studies, and some of our recent projects have included:
• Work to develop a novel assay to detect levels of apoptosis (programmed cell death) in DNA from any type of cell. Our data suggest that this assay may be useful for detecting early toxicity from antiretroviral drugs.
• Studies examining rates and risk factors for neuropathy among HIV patients in Australia and overseas
• Work examining genetic risk factors for neuropathy among patients with HIV
• An observational study to assess the effects of a new HIV treatment on nerves
• A laboratory study examining proposed methods of preventing nerve damage from particular HIV medications (using cultured foetal rat nerve cells)
• Clinical trials of novel analgesic agents to mange HIV-associated neuropathy pain.
 

Research Objectives

• To understand the pathogenesis of neuropathy and other toxicities that affect many patients living with HIV (facilitating the development of safer HIV treatments and preventative strategies)
• To document the clinical, treatment, genetic and laboratory predictors of neuropathy and other side effects in the individual (allowing safer prescription)
• To develop improved methods of patient monitoring to allow the early detection of antiretroviral drug toxicities (allowing regimen change before severe side effects occur)
• To examine proposed methods of preventing/reversing drug toxicity
• To undertake high-quality clinical trials of proposed treatment for HIV-assoicated neuropathy; a condition for which currently available treatments are frequently ineffective.

Our overall aim is to contribute to safer treatments and improved health outcomes for people living with HIV
 

Research Highlights

• David Hooker has developed a novel assay for measuring apoptosis (programmed cell death). Initial results on archived tissue samples suggest that this assay may be useful for detecting early toxicity from antiretroviral drugs. David is currently working to develop a rapid-throughput, real-time PCR version of his assay better suited for use in patient monitoring.
• We have shown that neuropathy remains an important problem among HIV patients in Australia despite a reduction in the use of drugs (such as stavudine) that are known to cause neuropathy. New risk factors are emerging
• We have completed a randomized, controlled trial of flupirtine – an analgesic proposed for the treatment of pain associated with HIV-neuropathy. Results from this trial will be unblended late in 2009, but patients who have rolled over into an open label extension study have all experienced a substantial and sustained reduction in their neuropathy pain (studies sponsored by CNS Bio)
• Colleagues in South Africa have joined our HIV neuropathy genetics studies. They have enrolled almost 500 patients, confirming neuropathy rates of almost 50% among South Africans with HIV. Genetic studies are about to commence