Major breakthroughs for medical research institute

The recently opened $8 million headquarters of Monash's Institute of Reproduction and Development at the Monash Medical Centre at Clayton.

The Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development last week announced two major breakthroughs in medical research at the same time as its new headquarters housing the very latest in technology was officially opened by the Honorable Dr Michael Wooldridge, Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care.

The institute, part of the university's Faculty of Medicine, was previously housed at the Monash Medical Centre and at various locations around the area.

Institute director Professor David de Kretser said the opening of the building containing the latest in medical research technology meant that collaboration between the various research groups would be made much easier and would enable the breadth and depth of expertise at the institute to be maximised.

Meanwhile, a team of scientists under the leadership of Professor Alan Trounson and Professor de Kretser announced that it had discovered a genetic cause of male infertility.

According to Professor Trounson, the discovery is a major advance in understanding the causes of male infertility and opens the possibility of exploring new methods of treatment.

The significance of these findings has been recognised by the prestigious international medical journal The Lancet, which published the study last week.

Another team of scientists, led by Associate Professor Gail Risbridger, announced preliminary research findings that show a new drug similar to the female hormone estrogen could bring relief to a large proportion of the male population with prostate disease.

"Early indications are that the new drug could form an entirely new therapeutic strategy for the increasingly common problem of prostate disease," Professor Risbridger said.

Preparations are under way to begin a clinical trial of the drug early in 2000.

Professor de Krester said the new findings would further add to the international recognition that researchers at the institute already receive.