Hormonal Modulation Of Prostatic Growth And Contractility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$324,237.00
Summary
With increasing age human males are likely to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a disorder characterized by urethral obstruction due to an increase in size of the prostate gland. Drug treatments of this condition are not entirely satisfactory and the current project is to examine the mechanisms by which the prostate grows and occludes the urethra. We will use human prostate cells grown in artificial conditions to determine which hormones alter the types of cells and especially examine ....With increasing age human males are likely to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a disorder characterized by urethral obstruction due to an increase in size of the prostate gland. Drug treatments of this condition are not entirely satisfactory and the current project is to examine the mechanisms by which the prostate grows and occludes the urethra. We will use human prostate cells grown in artificial conditions to determine which hormones alter the types of cells and especially examine those cells which can contract as these may be of critical importance in the urethral obstruction. We hypothesize that an enzyme called protein kinase C may be implicitly involved in both cell growth and contractile function and we will examine the role of protein kinase C with a view ultimately to develop drugs which may interfere with this process and therefore aid in non-surgical treatment of the condition.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Steatosis In Promoting Cellular Injury And Fibrogenesis In Human Liver Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$414,375.00
Summary
Lay Description Fatty liver (steatosis) is important because it increases the vulnerability of the liver to factors that trigger inflammation and fibrosis. Patients with steatosis may develop steatohepatitis spontaneously and this increases the risk and rate of progression to cirrhosis, with consequent liver-related morbidity and mortality. In addition, steatosis significantly potentiates the severity of liver damage that is caused by other agents such as drugs or infections. To improve the prog ....Lay Description Fatty liver (steatosis) is important because it increases the vulnerability of the liver to factors that trigger inflammation and fibrosis. Patients with steatosis may develop steatohepatitis spontaneously and this increases the risk and rate of progression to cirrhosis, with consequent liver-related morbidity and mortality. In addition, steatosis significantly potentiates the severity of liver damage that is caused by other agents such as drugs or infections. To improve the prognosis of patients with fatty livers, it is important to understand why hepatic steatosis increases the risk for more serious liver disease. To date, much of our understanding of mechanisms of liver injury in fatty liver disease comes from animal models, and these findings have not been systematically evaluated in the human disease. Apart from optimizing body weight, there is no established treatment of fatty liver disease. Delineation of the mechanisms involved in liver injury will allow the development of specific protective strategies for steatotic livers.Read moreRead less
The Polycomb Ezh2 Methyltransferase Regulates Satellite Cell Self-renewal
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$333,769.00
Summary
Skeletal muscle regeneration following injury is a tightly regulated process and any disturbance to this process, such as that which occurs with the muscular dystrophies, can greatly impair a muscle's ability to regenerate. The aim of this project is to better understand the mechanisms that control muscle regeneration, and open up new avenues for potential treatment strategies in conditions where muscle wasting and weakness are indicated.
Deciphering The Function Of Caspase-2 In DNA Damage Response And Tumour Suppression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$808,007.00
Summary
Aberrant cell death and DNA damage response (DDR) are hallmarks of tumourigenesis. Recently we have discovered that an enzyme, caspase-2, previously implicated in cell death execution, also works in DDR and acts as a tumour suppressor. We now wish to validate these finding in preclinical models of cancer and understand precisely how caspase-2 safeguards against cancer development. These studies will help better understand tumourigenesis and may lead to the discovery of new drug targets.
Understanding The Molecular Mechanisms Of Cell Death In Radiotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$643,856.00
Summary
Radiotherapy (RT) is responsible for 40% of cancer cures. New technology enables RT delivery in fewer treatments using higher radiation dosages through a technique called 'ART'. While ART is effective in the clinic, the underlying mechanisms of cancer cell death are unclear. Here we show that ART induces two distinct waves of cancer cell death. We will characterize these waves of cell death and determine how to enhance tumour cell killing with pharmacological intervention.