Analysis Of Low Radiation Dose Outside Of The Treatment Field Received By Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$332,384.00
Summary
Every medical intervention is associated with risk. The present proposal aims to quantify the dose from radiation that is delivered outside the actual target region in radiotherapy of breast cancer patients. This information can help the development of better irradiation techniques as well as inform patients and their carers about possible long term side effects. Finally, the research can be used to finetune radiobiological models by comparing clinical outcomes and accurately calculated doses.
Understanding The Mechanisms Of Functionally Selective Antipsychotic Drugs: Implications For New Generation Antipsychotic Drugs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,745.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a chronic and devastating disease that ranks among the top 10 disabilities in developed countries. It places a significant burden on the Australian health system, costing about $1.5 billion each year. This project aims to reveal the mechanisms of new functionally selective antipsychotic drugs, which achieve an excellent therapeutic efficacy with low side-effects. Understanding these mechanisms will provide novel directions for the design of new generation antipsychotic drugs.
New Drugs To Counteract The Side Effects And Premature Ageing Caused By Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$577,658.00
Summary
During cancer treatment, commonly used chemotherapy drugs cause profound side effects that include pain, nausea, heart problems, hair loss and can affect almost every system in the body. Even after chemotherapy treatment has stopped, cancer survivors face an increased risk of diseases which resemble the effects of old age. We are testing newly discovered anti-ageing molecules for their ability to reduce these side effects, and drastically improve the quality of life for cancer patients.
Cyclotherapy: A New Approach To Stop The Side Effects Of Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$565,847.00
Summary
Cyto-toxic chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer but is associated with significant side effects for the patient. These are due to the chemotherapy killing normal dividing cells in the gut, bone marrow and hair follicles. We will determine the potential of cyclotherapy in preventing these side effects. In cyclotherapy a pre-treatment temporarily stops normal cells from dividing and therefore protects them from the damage of subsequent chemotherapy.
Understanding The Mechanisms For Ameliorating/preventing Antipsychotic-induced Obesity In Early Life
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,496.00
Summary
There has been a sharp worldwide increase during the last decade in antipsychotic prescriptions (mostly “off-label”) to paediatric patients. One important issue is that antipsychotic drugs were developed for adult patients and normally have serious side-effects. This project will not only reveal the mechanisms of antipsychotic-induced obesity side-effects in youth, but will also explore intervention strategies for preventing antipsychotic-induced weight gain/obesity in paediatric patients.
Understanding The Side Effects Of HAART In HIV Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
Combination therapy has dramatically improved the life expectancy of people living with HIV. However, the long term side effects of these medications can be significant. Not everyone treated with the same drugs suffers similar side effects. This project seeks to unravel factors that lead a given individual to experience particular side effects. Understanding why medication side effects occur will be critical in finding safer ways to treat HIV.
Roles Of Muscarinic M3 Receptors In Antipsychotic-induced Metabolic Side-effects: Prevention And Treatment Of Antipsychotic-induced Insulin Dysregulation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$603,825.00
Summary
Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat various mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia and major depression. However, these drugs cause serious metabolic side-effects leading to premature death and huge costs to the Australian health care system. This project aims to reveal the role of muscarinic M3 receptors in antipsychotic-induced insulin dysregulation that precedes diabetes. Understanding these mechanisms will provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment ....Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat various mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia and major depression. However, these drugs cause serious metabolic side-effects leading to premature death and huge costs to the Australian health care system. This project aims to reveal the role of muscarinic M3 receptors in antipsychotic-induced insulin dysregulation that precedes diabetes. Understanding these mechanisms will provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of these critical adverse effects.Read moreRead less
TIR Signalling Pathway Pharmacogenomics And Opioid Response: Beyond The Mu Opioid Receptor
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$246,396.00
Summary
This project will identify why some people respond poorly and others have toxic side effects to the major group of pain relieving medications, the opioids. The basis will be the genetics of the immune system and both acute postoperative and chronic cancer pain patients will be studied in this international pharmacogenetics project.
Optimising Outcomes In Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Through Rational Drug Selection Using Predictive Assay Results And Maximising Treatment Free Remissions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$193,596.00
Summary
Although outcomes in chronic myeloid leukaemia are generally excellent, a number of important questions remain. In this grant, we propose to i) personalise the selection of frontline treatment for newly diagnosed patients, using biomarkers which can predict treatment response; ii) improve the probability of cure in patients aiming to stop their treatment, and iii) use ultra-sensitive molecular tests for disease detection to predict risk of disease relapse.
GLUCOCORTICOID EFFECTS ON BONE: THE ROLE OF THE OSTEOBLAST
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$464,520.00
Summary
Glucocorticoids (usually referred to as cortisone) are used as therapeutic agents in almost all fields of medicine, where they have been proven to be of great benefit to countless patients suffering from diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and malignancies. Glucocorticoids are also of live saving benefit to patients who have undergone organ transplantation. It is, however, well known that glucocorticoids may also exert deleterious effects on bone, muscle, ca ....Glucocorticoids (usually referred to as cortisone) are used as therapeutic agents in almost all fields of medicine, where they have been proven to be of great benefit to countless patients suffering from diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and malignancies. Glucocorticoids are also of live saving benefit to patients who have undergone organ transplantation. It is, however, well known that glucocorticoids may also exert deleterious effects on bone, muscle, cartilage and skin, causing osteoporosis, muscle wasting and skin damage. As a matter of fact, cortisone-induced muscle and bone disease is one of the most frequent and serious side effects associated with glucocorticoid treatment, and substantially affects quality of life and co-morbidity in many patients. In the present project, we aim to develop new strategies for the understanding and prevention of costisone-induced bone disease. The first step is to investigate the mechanisms of actions of glucocorticoids in bone. To this aim, we have generated a model in which a cortisone- inactivating enzyme is produced in excess in the bone forming cells (osteoblasts). Previous studies have shown that these cells are protected against the effects on cortisone, while other cells not producing this enzyme remained vulnerable. We now intend to use this model to study the mechanisms of glucocorticoid action on bone and muscle under normal and diseased conditions (e.g. in a model of glucocorticoid excess and in a model of rheumatoid arthritis). We also intend to study how internal glucocorticoids affect the development of bone forming cells. Our long-term aim is to uncover new ways to target drug action to the desired tissues and cells, while protecting other tissues and cells from deleterious side effects.Read moreRead less