Hexima Limited

Nicole Van Der Weerden

Marilyn Anne Anderson

Robyn Louise Heath

James Anthony McKenna

Jennifer Payne

Simon Poon

The present disclosure relates to the control of fungal infection of horn-like envelopes covering dorsal and terminal phalanges in humans and animals and related cerebral protrusions in animals as well as keratin comprising material on surfaces of humans and animals. Agents and natural and synthetic formulations and extracts useful for the control of fungal infection of these envelopes and related protrusions and keratin comprising material are also encompassed by the subject disclosure. In an embodiment, the present disclosure teaches the treatment of fungal infection of nails and in particular onychomycosis in humans.

Method of treatment

Agents and formulations and cells including plant extracts are useful in a method for controlling pathogen infestation in human and animal subjects. A method for inhibiting growth or infestation of a pathogen in or on a human or animal subject, includes contacting the pathogen with an effective amount of a combination of a plant defensin or a functional natural or synthetic derivative or variant thereof and either: (i) a proteinase inhibitor; or (ii) a chemical pathogenicidic or pathogenostatic agent; in a combined amount effective to inhibit growth or infestation of the pathogen.

Agents and methods of treatment

The protection of plants and human and non-human subjects from pathogens enables a multivalent approach to inhibiting pathogen infection in plant and human and non-human animal subjects and to ameliorate damage to susceptible subjects. A method for protecting a subject from a disease associated with infection by a pathogen includes providing cells of said subject with a Class I defensin and a permeabilizing defensin or a precursor or a functional homolog, analog, derivative or variant thereof of either or both.

Anti-pathogenic methods

Agents and natural and synthetic formulations and extracts are useful in control of pathogen infection and infestation in humans, animals and plants, as well as pathogen contamination in environmental locales. A method inhibits growth or infection or infestation of a pathogen, including contacting the pathogen with an effective amount of a combination of a plant defensin or a functional natural or synthetic derivative or variant thereof and a non-defensin peptide, such as a cathelicidin peptide, a hairpin peptide, a hairpin peptide from which disulfide bridges have been removed, indolicidin, synthetic peptide CP-29, or a peptide derived from a cystatin. The combination of the defensin and peptide are synergistic compared to the use of each alone at the same individual dose as used in the combination.

Agents and methods for treatment of pathogens

This disclosure relates generally to the field of anti-pathogenic agents, including a modified defensin molecule with anti-pathogen activity. Genetically modified plants and their progeny or parts expressing or containing the modified defensin and anti-pathogen compositions for use in horticulture and agriculture and as animal and human medicaments are also provided.

Modified plant defensins useful as anti-pathogenic agents

The present disclosure teaches the protection of plants and human and non-human subjects from pathogens. The present disclosure enables a multivalent approach to inhibiting pathogen infection in plant and human and non-human animal subjects and to ameliorate damage to susceptible subjects.

Provided is a system for protecting plants from attack by pests, including pathogens such as fungi. Specifically, a plant defensin is provided in conjunction with a protease inhibitor protects a plant from pest attack or reduces severity of an attack.

Anti-pathogen systems

A system for reducing the incidence or severity of fungal infection of a plant, comprising a chemical fungicide component, which may be provided by foliar or root (soil or liquid nutrient) application, together with an antifungal plant defensin not in nature expressed in the plant being protected or expressed in lower amounts or in different tissues, provides synergistic improvement in protection against infection by a plant pathogenic fungus which is susceptible to the defensin and the fungicide. The fungicide can be a strobilurin or a triazole, and the defensin can be selected from a wide range of known defensins, for example, NaD1 and others, or it can be a chimeric defensin engineered for low toxicity to the plant. The defensin can be provided as a protein formulation, optionally together with the fungicide, or it can be provided by recombinant expression in the plant to be protected from fungal infection.

Growing community of inventors

Coburg, Australia

Nicole Van Der Weerden