News

Jacob Coffey
CJ Martin Overseas Biomedical Research Fellowship

Awarded October 2017 for a period of four years. 

Project
Administering oral vaccines and modulating gastrointestinal immunity using a new physical device

Context
Vaccines have made the greatest contribution to extend the life expectancy of modern medicine. Most pathogens access the body through mucosal surfaces such as the respiratory or gastrointestinal tract. Yet most vaccines are delivered with a needle and syringe, which does not target delivery to or produce optimal immune responses at mucosal surfaces. This project will develop a pill that could deliver vaccines orally - without a needle and syringe. This is a minimally invasive and pain-free approach. If successful this approach has potential to produce better immune responses against pathogens that affect the GI tract and other mucosa.

"Influenza is just one disease that could potentially benefit from this approach," Jacob says.

"Influenza affects 5-15% of the world’s population each year and results in 250-500 thousand deaths. Just this year, we saw a particularly bad flu season affect many people, especially in Victoria.

"Oral vaccines are non-invasive and can be self-administered, which encourages higher vaccination rates. Greater vaccination rates will help reduce the considerable impact of influenza on individual health, particularly by limiting the spread of influenza to vulnerable populations for who vaccination may be less effective, and on the economy overall.

Jacob will spend two years based in Professor Robert Langer’s research group at the Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he will develop a novel device to orally deliver vaccines. Professor Langer’s lab is a world leader in drug delivery and development of biomedical devices. 

This will be followed by two years at the Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, in Professor Stephen Kent’s research group.

Professor Stephen Kent is an infectious disease physician who specialises in immunology and developing and testing vaccines. In Professor Kent’s lab, Jacob will perform initial studies to translate the technology, working towards eventual use in humans.