Since the beginning, Medvet has returned profits from its business to support scientific and medical research.

Medvet has committed a total of $7.3 million for projects through to 2014.

Medvet's recent research grants totalling $1.2 million are listed below.

• Dr Quenten Schwartz, whose research could lead to the development of alternative therapies for schizophrenia. (see press article below)
• Dr Michele Grimbaldeston is investigating the way mast cells in the body cause inflammation and tissues damage and anaphylactic shock.
• Dr Claire Jessup is studying what happens following transplantation of organs in humans. She is working on improving the success rate of islet cell transplants as a cure for Type I diabetes.
• Dr Adam Deane is investigating the use of artificial sweeteners to help increase survival rates in critically ill patients.

Grant to help unravel disease of the mind

Julian Swallow from the Advertiser
September 21, 2011

A CURE for schizophrenia may be one step closer with the help of a research grant for an Adelaide scientist.

Developmental biologist Dr Quenten Schwarz, 35, has received a $390,000 grant from Adelaide-based Medvet Laboratories towards his mice trial research.

Dr Schwarz, who is based at Adelaide's Neurovascular Research Laboratory, is using mice to demonstrate how the removal of a key genetic protein can bring on schizophrenia. His research has revealed mice without the gene exhibit symptoms very close to human schizophrenia.

"We think the unique mouse model should give us a profound insight into how we get it (schizophrenia) in the first place," he said.

Dr Schwarz's research will be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia - which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the costs associated with our mental health system - or even a cure.

"The Holy Grail would be a cure," he said.

Medvet managing director Greg Johansen said there had been almost 40 grant applications and they had been "overwhelmed with the quality of the work."

Medvet grants were also awarded to Adelaide-based researchers to investigate the use of artificial sweeteners to improve survival rates in critically ill patients; the way the body's mast cells cause inflammation, tissue damage and anaphylactic shock; and to study the effects of the transplantation of human body organs at a cell level.

Mr Johansen said the grants were aimed at promoting groundbreaking research and attracting young world-class researchers to Adelaide.

"We're reversing the brain drain and attracting high-quality new researchers back to the state," he said.

The awarding of the grants comes as a global team of scientists, including from Australia, yesterday announced they had identified genetic variations common to bipolar and schizophrenia.

Two separate studies revealed 11 genetic variations with a strong link to the two diseases.

The results of the research, published in Nature Genetics, confirms long-held suspicions the conditions are linked and could lead to the development of better drug treatments.