Defining The Molecular Regulators Of Apoptotic Cell Disassembly And Their Role In Cell Clearance And Lupus-like Autoimmune Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$773,848.00
Summary
In humans, billions of cells will die daily as part of normal turnover in various organs. It is vital that dying cells are rapidly removed as their accumulation has been linked to autoimmunity and inflammation. To aid efficient removal of dead cells, dying cells can disassemble into smaller fragments for neighbouring cells to engulf. We aim to understand the machinery that controls how dying cells can disassemble into smaller pieces and their function in cell clearance and autoimmunity.
This project will provide comprehensive nationally-representative data on the issue of hearing loss at work. We will undertake a large national survey to determine how many Australians are exposed to noise and ototoxic chemicals in the workplace and will use these data to estimate the future burden of work-related hearing loss. We will also estimate how changes in the use of noise control measures could alter the burden and the costs.
Improving Radiation Therapy Of Static And Moving Targets Using High Spatial Resolution Real-time Dosimeters
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$544,425.00
Summary
Radiation therapy is a major oncology modality for cancer treatment and more than 50% of cancer patients can benefit from radiotherapy at some stage of management. This project will develop two real-time, high spatial resolution dosimetry systems for quality assurance of contemporary radiation treatments of static and movable targets. It will be possible to minimize human and robotic system error so as to guarantee accurate cancer treatment delivery and improve the clinical outcomes of radiother ....Radiation therapy is a major oncology modality for cancer treatment and more than 50% of cancer patients can benefit from radiotherapy at some stage of management. This project will develop two real-time, high spatial resolution dosimetry systems for quality assurance of contemporary radiation treatments of static and movable targets. It will be possible to minimize human and robotic system error so as to guarantee accurate cancer treatment delivery and improve the clinical outcomes of radiotherapy.Read moreRead less
Antibiotic Tolerance And Small RNA Networks In Staphylococcus Aureus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$521,559.00
Summary
Treatment of MRSA is restricted to last line antibiotics and treatment failure is associated with an intermediate tolerance to vancomycin. Regulatory molecules termed small RNA mediate responses to antibiotic challenge but their functions are poorly understood. This proposal will profile sRNA function to understand how they adapt S. aureus to antibiotic challenge. A molecular understanding of vancomycin-tolerance will inform development of diagnostics and treatment strategies.
Circuit Breaker: Investigating The Regulatory Circuits Controlling Expression Of Drug Efflux Pumps In The Nosocomial Pathogen Acinetobacter Baumannii
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$515,244.00
Summary
Hospital-acquired infections caused by drug resistant pathogenic bacteria cost billions of dollars and increase patient pain and morbidity. This research will study the genes controlling multidrug efflux pumps in a major hospital-acquired bacterial pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. These efflux pumps make the bacteria resistant to antimicrobials by pumping them out of the cell. The results will allow us to better track drug resistant strains and will inform treatment options.
Essential Roles Of RNA Polymerase II Transcription And DNA Damage Response Pathway In The Maintenance Of Centromere Chromatin Assembly
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$601,224.00
Summary
A centromere is a region of DNA typically found near the middle of a chromosome where two identical sister chromatids come in contact. It is involved in cell division as the point of attachment to the mitotic spindle. Defective centromeres can result in genome instability, infertility and development of cancers. This work involves a study into how the identity of a centromere is maintained and inherited after each cell division. This has significant implication in the understanding of cell growt ....A centromere is a region of DNA typically found near the middle of a chromosome where two identical sister chromatids come in contact. It is involved in cell division as the point of attachment to the mitotic spindle. Defective centromeres can result in genome instability, infertility and development of cancers. This work involves a study into how the identity of a centromere is maintained and inherited after each cell division. This has significant implication in the understanding of cell growth and cancer development.Read moreRead less
Multipathogen Adoptive Immunotherapy For Post-transplant Virus-associated Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,074,188.00
Summary
This project is aiming to develop an “off-the-shelf” killer T cell therapy for transplant patients and patients with virus-associated malignancies. This therapy is based on a novel technology developed by our group which allows rapid expansion of killer T cells directed against multiple viruses.
CCR4/NOT Complex Is A Conserved Regulator Of Heart Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$467,567.00
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases kill an Australian every 11 minutes. The goal of this proposal is to characterize the role of the conserved heart regulators in cardiac function and disease. Our combined multi-species and informatics approach has identified a major disease locus for sudden cardiac death in humans, which we propose to characterize. This work can lead to new classes of drugs to improve cardiac health and also aid in early diagnosis of patients susceptible to sudden cardiac death.
Defining The Molecular Regulation Of Muscle Stem Cell Action During Organ Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$738,259.00
Summary
How do organs grow to develop a complex cellular structure. Organ growth needs a careful balance between cell commitment and stem cell self renewal to maintain tissue growth trajectories. How this balance is achieved at the cellular and molecular level remains unresolved for most organ systems. This application studies a specific stem cell pool within the zebrafish myotome and how it is used to drive organ growth.
Preclinical Development Of TLR Signalling Inhibitors For Prevention Of Preterm Labour And Fetal Inflammatory Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$690,821.00
Summary
Preterm birth affects 8% of Australian births and is a major cause of infant and child health problems. Therapies to prevent or delay prematurity are urgently required. This study will investigate new drugs that suppress the triggers of preterm labour. We will evaluate drug effects in mice and human placental tissue, to demonstrate safety and fetal protection from inflammatory injury that occurs with prematurity. Successful completion of the study is expected to lead to clinical trials in women.