Position

Strategic Research Professor

Address

School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences,
Charles Sturt University

Tel 02 6933 2439
Fax 02 6933 2991
tspithill@csu.edu.au
Web www.csu.edu.au/faculty/science/savs/staff/tspithill.htm

Research interests

My research interests include: understanding host-parasite interactions and acquired immunity to liver fluke infection; the molecular biology and protein biochemistry of liver fluke and malaria; identification of biomarkers of parasite infection and development of diagnostic tests; the development of vaccines and drugs to control parasite infection.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons), PhD

Ten Most Significant Publications

Coppel R L, McNeilage L J, Surh C D, Van de Water J, SPITHILL T W, Whittingham S and Gershwin M E.  Primary structure of the human M2 mitochondrial autoantigen of primary biliary cirrhosis; dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA.  85:  7317-7321 (1988).

Murray P J and SPITHILL T W.  Polymorphic variants of a Leishmania surface antigen derived from a multigene locus. J. Biol. Chem. 266: 24477-24484 (1992).

Morrison, C.A., Colin, T., Sexton, J.L., Bowen, F., Wicker, J., Friedel, T. and SPITHILL, T. W. Protection of cattle against Fasciola hepatica by vaccination with glutathione S-transferase. Vaccine 14: 1603-1612. (1996).

Rossjohn, J., Feil, S.C., Wilce, M.C.J., Sexton, J.L., SPITHILL, T.W. and Parker, M.W. Crystallization, structural determination and analysis of a novel parasite vaccine candidate: Fasciola hepatica glutathione S-transferase. J. Mol. Biol. 273: 857-872 (1997).

Estuningsih, S.E., Smooker, P.M., Wiedosari, E.,  Widjajanti, S., Vaiano , S., Partoutomo, S. and SPITHILL, T.W. Evaluation of antigens of Fasciola gigantica as vaccines against tropical fasciolosis in cattle. Int. J. Parasitol. 27: 1419-1428 (1997).

Law, R.H.P., Smooker, P.M., Irving, J.A., Piedrafita, D., Ponting, R., Kennedy, N.J., Whisstock, , J.C., Pike, R.N. and SPITHILL, T.W. Cloning and expression of the major secreted cathepsin B-like protein from juvenile Fasciola hepatica and analysis of  immunogenicity following liver fluke infection. Inf Immunity 71:6921-6932 (2003).

Scorza, T., K. Grubb, P. Smooker, A. Rainczuk , D. Proll and T. W. SPITHILL.  Induction of strain-transcending immunity against Plasmodium chabaudi adami malaria with a multiepitope DNA vaccine. Inf Immunity 73: 2974-2985 (2005)

Piedrafita,D.M., Estuningsih, E., Pleasance, J., Prowse, R.K., Raadsma,H.W., Meeusen, E.N.T. and T.W. SPITHILL. Peritoneal lavage cells of Indonesian thin tail sheep mediate antibody-dependent superoxide radical cytotoxicity in vitro against newly excysted juvenile Fasciola gigantica but not juvenile Fasciola hepatica. Inf. Immunity  75:1954-1963 (2007).

Rioux, M.C., Carmona, C., Acosta, D., Ward, B., Ndao, M. and T.W.  SPITHILL. Discovery and validation of serum biomarkers over the first twelve weeks of Fasciola hepatica infection in sheep. Int J Parasitol. 38:123-36 ( 2008).

Yanow, S.K*., Purcell, L.A*., Pradel, G., Sato, A., Rodriguez, A., Lee, M., Spithill, T.W. Potent antimalarial and transmission-blocking activities of a novel DNA binding agent. J Inf Diseases 197:527–534 (2008).* joint first author.

Currently Held Grants

B.Ward, M. N.Mdao, G. Matlashewski, M. Gottschalk, T. Spithill: SELDI TOF MS for Protozoan Parasites - Protecting the Canadian Blood Supply; Canadian Institutes of Health Research; 2007-2009.