Published Thursday, 11 December, 2008 at 05:00 AM
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Hummingbird heart secrets to save human lives
A natural phenomenon that occurs in Hummingbirds has been harnessed by a Queensland professor to create a radical, life-saving procedure for cardiac surgery.
Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle today announced that Townsville-based Hibernation Therapeutics Limited (HTL) would receive a $100,000 Significant Regional Projects grant to help take the technology global.
“HTL has created a world-first with enormous potential to save lives and reduce hospital and health care costs, and it’s been done by borrowing from nature,” Ms Boyle said.
“Led by Dr Geoffrey Dobson, HTL is a biotech spin-off company from James Cook University where Dr Dobson heads the Heart Research Laboratory in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology.
“Dr Dobson and his team have developed a new heart arrest and, cardioprotection technology known as AdenocaineTM which enables hearts to be safely stopped for surgical procedures and started again after surgery with fewer drugs and complications.
“The technology also is being developed to transport hearts and other organs safely over greater distances.”
According to Dr Dobson, the innovation means that cardiac surgery will be safer for the patient and more predictable for the surgeon.
“My vision was to make a human heart operate more like the heart of a hibernating animal,” Dr Dobson said.
“Natural hibernators have the ability to shut down their body by 99 per cent when required because of stress relating to oxygen, food shortages or temperature changes.
“It’s the Hummingbird though that is the true model for AdenocaineTM. Hummingbirds have an extraordinarily high metabolism and are able to switch their furnaces down to “pilot light” and enter into a state of suspended animation called overnight torpor.
“In this profoundly deep sleep state, the Hummingbird drops its heart from 1500 beats per minute to around 30 beats per minute.”
Ms Boyle said HTL would use the $100,000 to help fulfil the requirements of the US Food and Drug Authority for human clinical trials.
She added that a previous $80,000 Innovation Start Up Scheme grant from the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry had gone towards founding the company in 2002.
“Once they have that FDA approval, seeking a multinational interest and commercialisation of the technology will be full steam ahead,” Ms Boyle said.
“With around 800,000 cardiac surgeries performed worldwide each year I expect there to be a great deal of excitement and interest.
“Usually during cardiac surgery, the human heart is stopped using a solution of high potassium which can be dangerous, particularly for high risk patients like the elderly or those with renal disorders.
“AdenocaineTM offers a natural solution without the nasty side affects of potassium.”
Dr Dobson said AdenocaineTM was particularly targeted for high-risk patients in the rapidly ageing population.
“I believe our product will be particularly positive for Indigenous and Torres Strait Island communities in Tropical North Queensland where the risks of developing heart disease are up to twenty-five times that of the rest of Australia, and heart valve operations carry significantly higher mortality rates” he said.
Ends
Media contact:
Minister for Regional Development & Industry: 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
Dr Geoffrey Dobson: 4781 4097 or 0407 649 460
11 December 2008
Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle today announced that Townsville-based Hibernation Therapeutics Limited (HTL) would receive a $100,000 Significant Regional Projects grant to help take the technology global.
“HTL has created a world-first with enormous potential to save lives and reduce hospital and health care costs, and it’s been done by borrowing from nature,” Ms Boyle said.
“Led by Dr Geoffrey Dobson, HTL is a biotech spin-off company from James Cook University where Dr Dobson heads the Heart Research Laboratory in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology.
“Dr Dobson and his team have developed a new heart arrest and, cardioprotection technology known as AdenocaineTM which enables hearts to be safely stopped for surgical procedures and started again after surgery with fewer drugs and complications.
“The technology also is being developed to transport hearts and other organs safely over greater distances.”
According to Dr Dobson, the innovation means that cardiac surgery will be safer for the patient and more predictable for the surgeon.
“My vision was to make a human heart operate more like the heart of a hibernating animal,” Dr Dobson said.
“Natural hibernators have the ability to shut down their body by 99 per cent when required because of stress relating to oxygen, food shortages or temperature changes.
“It’s the Hummingbird though that is the true model for AdenocaineTM. Hummingbirds have an extraordinarily high metabolism and are able to switch their furnaces down to “pilot light” and enter into a state of suspended animation called overnight torpor.
“In this profoundly deep sleep state, the Hummingbird drops its heart from 1500 beats per minute to around 30 beats per minute.”
Ms Boyle said HTL would use the $100,000 to help fulfil the requirements of the US Food and Drug Authority for human clinical trials.
She added that a previous $80,000 Innovation Start Up Scheme grant from the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry had gone towards founding the company in 2002.
“Once they have that FDA approval, seeking a multinational interest and commercialisation of the technology will be full steam ahead,” Ms Boyle said.
“With around 800,000 cardiac surgeries performed worldwide each year I expect there to be a great deal of excitement and interest.
“Usually during cardiac surgery, the human heart is stopped using a solution of high potassium which can be dangerous, particularly for high risk patients like the elderly or those with renal disorders.
“AdenocaineTM offers a natural solution without the nasty side affects of potassium.”
Dr Dobson said AdenocaineTM was particularly targeted for high-risk patients in the rapidly ageing population.
“I believe our product will be particularly positive for Indigenous and Torres Strait Island communities in Tropical North Queensland where the risks of developing heart disease are up to twenty-five times that of the rest of Australia, and heart valve operations carry significantly higher mortality rates” he said.
Ends
Media contact:
Minister for Regional Development & Industry: 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
Dr Geoffrey Dobson: 4781 4097 or 0407 649 460
11 December 2008