Researchers at Monash University have won more federal funding to keep studying how one of the immune system's brakes works. Their industry partner, ASX-listed biotech Immutep, is building its drug portfolio around that same mechanism.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) has given Monash $652,248 over three years under its Linkage Projects scheme.
The grant supports the university's long-running work with Immutep on Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3, or LAG-3. This protein helps regulate immune responses. Linkage Projects grants are competitive and fund partnerships between Australian researchers and industry.
ARC Linkage grants have supported the partnership since 2017, and Immutep has funded the work directly in the gaps between grants. The collaboration's most notable result came in December 2024. That month, Dr Jan Petersen at Monash's Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) published the first crystal structure of human LAG-3 bound to its main partner molecule, MHC Class II, in Science Immunology. The work gave researchers their first detailed view of how the two molecules connect. It showed the key contact points between them and gave scientists a structural basis for understanding how LAG-3 controls the immune system.
The new project, 'A structural investigation into Lymphocyte activation gene-3', will build on that work. Professor Jamie Rossjohn will lead it. His team will examine how LAG-3 interacts with MHC Class II and the role it plays in the immunological synapse. The synapse is the contact point that forms when a T-cell receptor recognises an antigen. The team will also study how these interactions affect signalling between immune cells.
A key focus is IMP761, an Immutep antibody that activates LAG-3. The researchers will test how it affects ligand binding, what it changes inside the synapse and what it does to immune function. They will use structural biology, cellular immunology and advanced imaging.
"We are grateful to the ARC for its continued support of this longstanding collaboration with Immutep," said Professor Rossjohn, an NHMRC Investigator L3 Fellow at the Monash BDI. "We are excited to build on our recent findings and continue exploring the structure and function of this important immune checkpoint."
Immutep's chief scientific officer, Dr Frédéric Triebel, will keep advising on the project. He will also give the Monash team access to LAG-3-specific constructs, reagents and antibodies.
"This ARC funding will help advance fundamental knowledge of LAG-3 biology and strengthen the scientific foundation for future innovations in immunotherapy," Dr Triebel said. "We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Professor Rossjohn and his team, combining world-class academic research with Immutep's deep expertise in LAG-3 biology."
Dr Alison Greenway, Monash University's Associate Dean and Senior Director, Enterprise and Partnerships, said the partnership had benefited the university's health faculty.
"Our collaboration with Immutep over the years has been a true privilege for the Monash, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences faculty," she said. "Having the opportunity to align our leading researchers with their dedicated team has enriched our work and deepened our impact. We are grateful for the long-standing relationship that is grounded in a shared purpose and we look forward to continuing our work together."
