Investigation Of A New Rheology Dependent Platelet Aggregation Mechanism
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$509,447.00
Summary
We plan to examine a new mechanism promoting blood clot formation that involves the clumping (aggregation) of blood platelets. Our central hypothesis is that disturbances of blood flow, as occurs in diseased arteries, activates this clotting mechanism through a unique platelet activation process. Defining this new activation mechanism has the potential to lead to new approaches to prevent blood clot formation in patients with heart disease.
Dissecting FLT3 Signalling In Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$498,328.00
Summary
Each year approximately 6000 Australian adults and children are diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma or a related blood disorder, accounting for about 15% of all cancers. Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) is the most common form of leukaemia in adults resulting from an accumulation of immature myeloid cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood as a result of sustained, abnormal cell growth and survival together with a block in normal blood cell formation. There is still a major research effort aime ....Each year approximately 6000 Australian adults and children are diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma or a related blood disorder, accounting for about 15% of all cancers. Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) is the most common form of leukaemia in adults resulting from an accumulation of immature myeloid cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood as a result of sustained, abnormal cell growth and survival together with a block in normal blood cell formation. There is still a major research effort aimed at understanding the mechanisms that lead to AML formation and it is clear that multiple AML oncogenes and tumour suppressors remain to be identified. Identification of further events involved in AML is important as it will provide avenues for more specific and less toxic treatments. These are needed because current success rates for AML remain relatively poor. It is critical that research into the understanding of the pathways and events involved in AML keeps pace with the rapid development of new approaches for therapeutic agents. Together this will greatly increase the scope for therapeutic intervention over the next decade. In this application we investigate the role of a new molecular pathway in AML. Our studies have identified a gene of particular interest that we propose normally prevents AML formation and therefore is frequently turned off by the cellular changes that lead to AML. We propose that silencing of this gene is particularly important in those AML cases which have mutations in the cell surface receptor FLT3 (about 30% of AML cases). We will use a number of molecular and cell biology approaches to manipulate this gene in mouse cell lines, normal mouse cells and human AML cells. A better understanding of the role of this gene and the associated pathway involving FLT3 may generate new leads for therapeutic approaches.Read moreRead less
A-Prof Roberst is a clinical haematologist caring for patients with blood cancers, who is committed to developing new therapies for currently incurable diseases through laboratory and clinical trial research.
Assemble A Cross-disciplinary Team With Requisite Skill To Uncover New Molecular Pathways Regulating Haemopoiesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,448,475.00
Summary
The major preoccupation of biology in the last decade has been the sequencing of the genomes of humans and important animal, plant, bacterial and viral organisms. With the completion of these projects, focus has shifted to understanding the molecular networks that regulate the biochemical, cellular and physiological processes that maintain health and the changes to these networks that lead to the onset and progression of disease. Within this fluid research landscape, my principal career goal ove ....The major preoccupation of biology in the last decade has been the sequencing of the genomes of humans and important animal, plant, bacterial and viral organisms. With the completion of these projects, focus has shifted to understanding the molecular networks that regulate the biochemical, cellular and physiological processes that maintain health and the changes to these networks that lead to the onset and progression of disease. Within this fluid research landscape, my principal career goal over the next 5 years is to ensure that, during a period of generational change at WEHI, its iconic molecular haematology team continues to flourish. Realizing this goal will allow us to use knowledge of the molecular determinants of health and disease to improve clinical outcomes of poorly treated conditions and in doing so improve the lives of patients and the health of the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Investigate Novel Functional Roles For PI 3-kinases In Platelets.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$537,215.00
Summary
Platelets are small blood cells which have a well defined role in blood clotting. There is a growing body of evidence that platelets play an important role in a broad range of inflammatory diseases, and we have identified a key role for the platelet PI3K enzyme in controlling the pro-inflammatory function of platelets. This grant will examine the importance of PI3K in health and disease, and examine the potential therapeutic benefits of inhibiting platelet PI3K.