Healthy West Australians are being called on to help combat Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) by signing up to be voluntarily infected with Strep A, the bacterium that causes the common sore throat.
Two of Perth’s leading medical research organisations, the Telethon Kids Institute and Linear Clinical Research, are joining forces with UWA and Curtin University, for the clinical trial as a part of the END RHD program which aims to eradicate RHD in Australia.
Telethon Kids Institute researcher and Infectious Diseases Physician, Dr Thel Hla, said RHD was caused by Strep A which, if left untreated, could become much more serious, especially in vulnerable communities.
“More than 5000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, many being children, are living with RHD – meaning they aren’t living the life of a typical Aussie kid,” Dr Hla said.
“While their friends are healthy, playing sports and taking part in their favourite activities, these children are too busy suffering from pain, fatigue, and constant fevers.
“Strep A is a type of bacteria that causes sore throats and occasionally skin infections. Where there are repeated cases of infection and they are left untreated with antibiotics, the infection can progress to a form called acute rheumatic fever which is associated with damage to kidneys, heart, and neurological systems.
“As a result, heart valves can be damaged ultimately leading to rheumatic heart disease particularly in children, and by the time they are a young adult or in their 30s or 40s they can develop intractable heart disease and heart failure which leads to entirely preventable premature death.”
Linear CEO Jayden Rogers said the trial’s aim was to find out more about the exact dose of penicillin which would protect someone from becoming infected with Strep A.
“In this very unique study, volunteers will be administered specific, lower-level doses of penicillin before being carefully exposed to a fixed dose of Strep A to see if they develop a sore throat in what is known as a human challenge study,” Mr Rogers said.
“If people develop symptoms, a standard treatment course is initiated to effectively treat this condition. The study will then help demonstrate potential dose levels that are protective from strep throat.
“As with any new intervention, it has to be carefully trialled on study volunteers, and that’s why it’s so important to have West Australians put themselves forward to be part of this research so we can rapidly test this new approach.”
Telethon Kids Institute Executive Director, Professor Jonathan Carapetis, said Australia has some of the highest rates of the disease in the world – occurring almost exclusively in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
There are more than 5,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with acute RHD, with the highest number of people affected aged between 5-14 years.
“This clinical trial is tackling one of the really big health problems of the world today… 300,000 people die of RHD every year and more than 40 million people around the world have the disease; and it all begins with a sore throat,” Professor Carapetis said.
“In a country like Australia, RHD shouldn’t exist, yet it does – taking lives and causing disability in some of our most vulnerable.”
The disease is entirely preventable and social and economic disadvantages are some of the primary contributors to RHD in Australia.
“Telethon Kids Institute has the leading research program for strep infections and RHD in the world and combined with Linear’s clinical trial expertise, we hope to develop a more effective formulation of penicillin which can help prevent the disease and then get it to the people most at risk now,” Professor Carapetis said.
“This is a really critical step in global health control.”
People who meet the following criteria may be eligible to participate in the trial:
- 18 to 40 years old
- Healthy male or female
- No allergies to food or medications
- No significant medical conditions
- No personal or family history of severe Strep A infection
- No hypersensitivity (allergy) to penicillin
- Be willing to avoid smoking during the study
- Have a BMI between 18 and 32kg/m2.
The trial is taking place at the new Linear Joondalup Early Phase Centre and those interested in seeking further information can visit here:
https://trials.linear.org.au/trial/sore-throat-challenge-study/