Dr Matt Faria awarded grant for modelling to aid future mRNA therapies for brain cancer

Biomedical engineer Dr Matt Faria and his team have been awarded a $98,659 grant from mRNA Victoria’s Research Acceleration Fund to build data-informed computational models of mRNA nanocarrier activity, that could aid future brain cancer treatment research.

Drawing on advanced mathematical modelling and experimental expertise, the team will build capability to predict mRNA nanocarrier delivery efficacy, streamlining clinical trials of mRNA therapies.

Around 2000 Australians develop brain cancer every year, with brain and spinal cord tumours being the second most common cancers in children (after leukemia). While the number of people surviving other types of cancers has steadily improved over the past 30 years, the five-year relative survival rate for brain cancer has remained low, at around 22 per cent.

Dr Faria said messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) has enormous promise for new medical treatments and disease prevention – making treatments more effective, safer and faster to produce – thanks to advances in biotechnology and molecular medicine.

However, successfully delivering mRNA to diseased cells is one of the biggest challenges for progressing the use of mRNA therapies.

“To date, no mRNA-based therapy has been approved for cancer, or been able to successfully pass through the blood brain barrier,” Dr Faria said.

“This barrier prevents passage of potentially harmful materials from the blood to the brain, but in the case of treating brain cancer, it has hampered treatment development.”

Dr Faria said that fast-tracking the selection of effective nanocarriers to pass through the barrier could both speed up the time it takes to get to clinical trials, and improve trial success rates.

“This could reduce time and cost for research, government and industry bodies, and get these therapies to patients who could benefit from them in the not-too-distant future.”

The project will receive $197,336 in total funding, with co-contributions from the University of Melbourne and project collaborator, the NSW-based Children’s Cancer Institute.

Find out more about mRNAVictoria and the Research Acceleration Fund.