Fix this text
UNIKEN
Fix this textTHE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Fix this textNo. 171 po, 10 of 1983)
Fix this textPublished fortnightly by the Public Affairs Unit
Fix this textRegistered by Australia Post Publication No. NBF 4388
Fix this text22 July 1983
Fix this textMajor research affiliation announced
Fix this textThe University of NSW and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research are to become
Fix this textaffiliated, a move which will permit collaboration on important new projects and which is
Fix this textexpected to make a valuable contribution to the level of medical research in New South Wales.
Fix this textTo launch this collaboration, the Institute and UNSW's School of Biotechnology, together
Fix this textwith the Australian National University, have begun a research program to produce syntheti-
Fix this textcally the human growth hormone given to children lacking it, so they can grow to their proper
Fix this textheight.
Fix this textThe project is of particular importance now,
Fix this textwith a world-wide shortage of the biologically-
Fix this textoccurring hormone (collected from cadavers) and an
Fix this textincreasing demand for its use in treatment. It will be
Fix this textthe first time this technology has been established
Fix this textin Australia synthetic production of the hormone
Fix this texthas just begun overseas, by one American company.
Fix this textThe Australian process, for which a patent appli-
Fix this textcation has been lodged, uses a very sophisticated
Fix this textpurification technique.
Fix this textOnce the production of the biosynthetic hor-
Fix this textmone is under way, it is expected supplies will be
Fix this textadequate not only for the treatment of the children
Fix this textneeding it but for research into other conditions for
Fix this textwhich it may be helpful, such as senility, osteo-
Fix this textporosis, burns and fractures.
Fix this textThe affiliation, of which this project will be the
Fix this textfirst fruit, has been welcomed by both the University
Fix this textand the Institute. At present, the Institute is
Fix this textattached to St Vincent's Hospital, one of UNSW's
Fix this textPrincipal Teaching Hospitals. The introduction of a
Fix this textBill in State Parliament to incorporate it as a
Fix this textseparate body is in train.
Fix this textFundir g for medical research in NSW has lagged
Fix this textbehind tha of other states partly because of the way
Fix this textresearch bodies have been constituted. Through its
Fix this textaffiliation with UNSW, the Garvan Institute will
Fix this textbecome a major research arm of the University, to
Fix this textthe benefit of both institutions and to medical and
Fix this textscientific research in NSW.
Fix this textSpeaking at a function held on 15 July to
Fix this textannounce formally the intention to affiliate, the
Fix this textVice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Birt, enumerated
Fix this textthe advantages to the University of such a linkage.
Fix this textHe said there was potential for increasing the
Fix this textresearch output of University departments through
Fix this textcollaboration with Institute scientists. There was also
Fix this textthe expectation that UNSW departments, in collab-
Fix this textoration with the Institute, would find improved
Fix this textprospects for attracting funds for joint research pro-
Fix this textjects. There would be greater opportunities for
Fix this textaccess by University staff to the facilities of the
Fix this textInstitute. On the educational side, opportunities for
Fix this textpostgraduate training would be enhanced, and it was
Fix this texthoped that Institute scientists would make an
Fix this textincreasing contribution to the University's teaching
Fix this textprogram.
Fix this textFor the Institute's part, its Chairman, Mr Keith
Fix this textCousins, said access to the University's facilities
Fix this textwould strengthen the Institute's research base while
Fix this textfurther contact with postgraduate students of the
Fix this textUniversity would enrich its intellectual activity. He
Fix this textalso took the opportunity to announce the Garvan
Fix this textFoundation's financing of four new postgraduate
Fix this textscholarships, worth $6,680 each.
Fix this textMr Laurie Brereton, the Minister tor Health,
Fix this textwelcomed the affiliation which he said was in line
Fix this textwith the State Government's attempts to build up
Fix this textNSW medical research institutes so they would be
Fix this textlarge enough to attract continuous Commonwealth
Fix this textfunding. He said the State Government had shown
Fix this textits support for the Garvan earlier this year with a
Fix this text$50,000 grant for infrastructure, to free other funds
Fix this textraised or received by the Institute for pure research.
Fix this textThe project
Fix this textThe Garvan Institute has been involved with
Fix this textgrowth hormone treatment for about 20 years and
Fix this textits Director, Dr Les Lazarus, is chairman of the com-
Fix this textmittee of the Department of Health which admin-
Fix this textisters the treatment program. Unlike other countries,
Fix this textAustralia makes this form of treatment available
Fix this textfree throughout the nation. But with increasing
Fix this textdemand (230 children currently receive treatment
Fix this textcompared with 175 in 1979) and the decrease in
Fix this textsupplies world-wide, a shortfall is predicted in
Fix this textAustralia in the middle of next
Fix this textyear.
Fix this textOnly human growth hor-
Fix this textmone will produce growth in
Fix this textchildren. The hormone is
Fix this textpresently extracted from pitu-
Fix this textitary glands collected at
Fix this textautopsy. One gland is needed a
Fix this textweek for the treatment of
Fix this texteach child.
Fix this textDr Lazarus says the in-
Fix this textcrease in demand is due to
Fix this textgreater awareness by doctors
Fix this textand better diagnostic facilities
Fix this textin peripheral centres. 'The
Fix this textproblem of supply and demand
Fix this textis further complicated by
Fix this textrecent evidence suggesting that
Fix this textthese hormones will also help
Fix this textchildren whose own growth
Fix this texthormones, though present in
Fix this textthe blood, appear to be inert.
Fix this textThe drop in the number of
Fix this textautopsies, he says, is partly the
Fix this textresult of the use of modern
Fix this textdiagnostic techniques such as
Fix this textCAT scanners to diagnose fatal
Fix this textconditions.
Fix this textIf imported natural hor-
Fix this textmones were used to bridge the
Fix this textgap, should they be available,
Fix this textthis would cost about $7,000
Fix this texta year per child. It is antici-
Fix this textpated the biosynthetic hor-
Fix this textmone will be produced for
Fix this textconsiderably less, and at a
Fix this textlevel sufficient to fill local
Fix this textneedsand perhaps be exported.
Fix this textThe technique
Fix this textProduction of the biosynthetic growth hor-
Fix this textmone will use recombinant DMA technology and
Fix this textmonoclonal antibody purification. Dr John Shine of
Fix this textANU's Centre for Recombinant DNA Research will
Fix this textcarry out the first steps construction of the gene
Fix this textcoding for the human growth hormone and inser-
Fix this texttion of the gene into the DNA of E coli bacterium.
Fix this textDr Peter Gray of UNSW’s School of Biotech-
Fix this textnology will then grow the result in fermentation
Fix this textvessels in the School under such conditions that it
Fix this textwill produce human growth hormone and carry out
Fix this textextraction and initial purification. Dr Lazarus will
Fix this textthen do the final purification using a monoclonal
Fix this textantibody. (A monoclonal antibody is a cell which
Fix this texthas been genetically engineered to continue produc-
Fix this texting a single antibody forever. In collaboration with
Fix this textthe CSIRO's Molecular and Cellular Biology Unit,
Fix this textthe Garvan Institute has prepared and characterized
Fix this texta number of these antibodies.)
Fix this textDr Gray estimates that it production goes
Fix this textsmoothly, about 400,000 units of the growth
Fix this texthormone, equivalent to 60,000 glands, can be made
Fix this texteach year (compared with present needs of about
Fix this text80,000 units a year). Once established, the program
Fix this textwill then be able to produce other hormones and
Fix this textgrowth factors of medical and agricultural
Fix this textimportance.
Fix this textTax cuts and wages policy for economic health
Fix this textAustralia needs tax cuts combined with
Fix this textan effective prices and incomes policy to cure
Fix this textthe stagflation besetting the economy, accord-
Fix this texting to Professor John Nevile, Dean of UNSW's
Fix this textFaculty of Commerce.
Fix this textProfessor Nevile favours cuts in indirect
Fix this texttaxes as a means of boosting the economy,
Fix this texttogether with a once-and-for-all cut in real
Fix this textwages of about 10 per cent, followed by some
Fix this textyears of full indexation but no catch-up rises.
Fix this textIn his view, mixes of monetary and fiscal
Fix this textpolicy alone cannot achieve a lasting improve-
Fix this textment in the economy without increasing
Fix this textinflation.
Fix this textIn a paper entitled Monetary and fiscal policies
Fix this textagainst stagflation, just published by UNSW's Centre
Fix this textfor Applied Economic Research, Professor Nevile
Fix this textalso argues that people should not be overly con-
Fix this textcerned at the size of the deficit because, he says, a
Fix this textlarge budget deficit does not automatically lead to
Fix this texthigher interest rates and burgeoning inflation. He
Fix this textdoes not believe it is necessary to have rising interest
Fix this textrates to sell more government bonds the psycho-
Fix this textlogical climate and the expectation about changes in
Fix this textthe interest rate, rather than the rate itself, have
Fix this textmost significance. Professor Nevile quotes figures
Fix this textshowing a lack of correlation between a rise in
Fix this textinterest rates and an increase in government bonds
Fix this textsold. In 1979/80, for instance, the interest rate rose
Fix this textsubstantially with virtually no change in the level of
Fix this textbond sales.
Fix this textThe other way to finance a deficit, by increas-
Fix this texting the money supply, is generally assumed to be
Fix this textinflationary. But Professor Nevile believes this is
Fix this textnot always true in the shorter term, particularly in
Fix this textcircumstances where expansionary fiscal policies
Fix this textwould help increase the rate of economic growth.
Fix this textIn his prescription for economic recovery.
Fix this textProfessor Nevile says that a prices and incomes
Fix this textpolicy is essential to break the nexus between
Fix this textunemployment and inflation. 'The difficulty is that
Fix this textmonetary and fiscal moves that reduce unemploy-
Fix this textment and stimulate the economy tend to increase
Fix this textinflation.' (And as the Fraser Government found,
Fix this texthe says, even those who decide to 'fight inflation
Fix this textfirst' often fail in their stated aim.)
Fix this textAccording to Professor Nevile, a 10 per cent
Fix this text'cut' in real wages (produced by a wage freeze that
Fix this textlasted while prices rose by 10 per cent) would cause
Fix this texta fall in the inflation rate. At the same time, an
Fix this textexpansionary fiscal policy, in the form of cuts in
Fix this textindirect taxation, would also reduce the rate of
Fix this textgrowth of the Consumer Price Index. This would
Fix this texthave a moderating effect on wages and inflation. The
Fix this texttax cuts would also put more money back into the
Fix this texthands of businesses and consumers, stimulating
Fix this textdemand. Once the 'wage cut' had taken effect, full
Fix this textindexation would be introduced but without any
Fix this textcatch-up or productivity rises.
Fix this text'Some sort of prices supervision would be
Fix this textnecessary as window dressing, to get the unions to
Fix this textaccept the rest of the package', he says, 'though I
Fix this textbelieve measures to increase competition are the best
Fix this textway to keep prices from going up.'
Fix this textIn the paper Professor Nevile also discusses
Fix this textthe effects of monetary/fiscal policy mixes different
Fix this textfrom the constrictive one tried by the Fraser Govern-
Fix this textment. He believes a combination of tighter fiscal
Fix this textpolicy and easier monetary policy could either
Fix this textreduce inflation or increase economic activity but
Fix this textonly at the expense of worsening the other. Some
Fix this textcombinations may even make both unemployment
Fix this textand inflation greater in the short to medium run, he
Fix this textsays.
Fix this textAnother alternative, that of cutting taxes but
Fix this textkeeping a tight rein on the money supply, could
Fix this texthelp in reducing inflation and unemployment to
Fix this textsome extent (especially with an appreciation of the
Fix this textexchange rate), he says. But big improvements would
Fix this textneed very large changes in tax and interest rates
Fix this textwhich would disrupt the share of resources going to
Fix this textdifferent parts of the economy.
Fix this textOn the question of fiscal policy, Professor
Fix this textNevile advocates an easing of taxation rather than an
Fix this textincrease in government expenditure, because the
Fix this textlatter stimulates the economy without dampening
Fix this textinflation. He favours cuts in indirect taxes rather
Fix this textthan in direct taxation because there is a more
Fix this textimmediate and more predictable impact on the CPI.
Fix this textParties to the affiliation, from left: Sister Marie
Fix this textHaren, R.S.C., Sister Administrator of St Vincent's
Fix this textHospital, Professor Michael Birt, UNSW's Vice-
Fix this textChancellor, Mr Laurie Brereton, Minister for Health,
Fix this textMr Keith Cousins, Chairman of the Garvan Institute,
Fix this textand its Director, Dr Les Lazarus.
Fix this textPurification of growth hormone
Fix this textusing monoclonal antibody
Fix this textPictures this page: Public Affairs Unit
Fix this textDr Les Lazarus (Garvan Institute), Dr Peter Gray
Fix this text(UNSW) and Dr John Shine (ANU), (front to back),
Fix this textwith the fast protein liquid chromatograph used in
Fix this textthe monoclonal antibody purification.
Fix this textProfessor John Nevile, Dean of the Faculty of
Fix this textCommerce and Director of the Centre for Applied
Fix this textEconomic Research.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
With your Trove account you can:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257321607
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. (1975). Uniken Retrieved April 18, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257321607
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit and University of New South Wales, issuing body. Uniken Kensington, N.S.W: University of New South Wales, 1975. Web. 18 April 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257321607>
University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit & University of New South Wales, issuing body. 1975, Uniken University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W viewed 18 April 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257321607
{{Citation
| author1=University of New South Wales. Public Affairs Unit.
| author2=University of New South Wales, issuing body.
| title=Uniken.
| year=1975
| section=volumes : illustrations ; 30-43 cm.
| issn=0312-7877
| issue=1983, no. 10 (22 Jul. - 4 Aug., 1983)
| location=Kensington, N.S.W
| publisher=University of New South Wales
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-257321607
| id=nla.obj-257321607
| access-date=18 April 2025
| via=Trove
}}
Citations are automatically generated and may require some modification to conform to exact standards.
Select the images you want to download, or the whole document.
You can order a copy of this work from Copies Direct.
Copies Direct supplies reproductions of collection material for a fee. This service is offered by the National Library of Australia
Copyright varies by issue and article
Copyright varies with each issue and article. You may have full rights to copy, or may be able to copy only under some circumstances, for example a portion for research or study. Order a copy where circumstances allow or Contact us for further information.
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply.
For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
Copy and paste one of these options to share this book elsewhere.