Heparan sulfate complexes with VEGF for control of angiogenesis in tissue engineered constructs. The national/community benefits that will arise from this work include, the generation of knowledge related to the growth of blood vessels in the presence of a synthetic polymer that has been made to look like the natural polymers present in the body. This will lead to an understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved that may have down stream effects relevant to the replacement of many types o ....Heparan sulfate complexes with VEGF for control of angiogenesis in tissue engineered constructs. The national/community benefits that will arise from this work include, the generation of knowledge related to the growth of blood vessels in the presence of a synthetic polymer that has been made to look like the natural polymers present in the body. This will lead to an understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved that may have down stream effects relevant to the replacement of many types of tissues being generated for clinical applications, including possible applications in the treatment of heart disease, the largest killer of people in the Western world. Read moreRead less
Blood component interactions with polysaccharide biomaterials for vascular applications. Heart disease is the major killer of people in Australia and the Western world. It is due mainly to the blockage of vessels supplying the muscle of the heart with blood and nutrients, which can be replaced or by-passed but the supply of native vessels in the body is limited. Tissue engineering laboratories have been trying to develop blood vessels for this use for many years without significant success. T ....Blood component interactions with polysaccharide biomaterials for vascular applications. Heart disease is the major killer of people in Australia and the Western world. It is due mainly to the blockage of vessels supplying the muscle of the heart with blood and nutrients, which can be replaced or by-passed but the supply of native vessels in the body is limited. Tissue engineering laboratories have been trying to develop blood vessels for this use for many years without significant success. This application plans to understand the molecular signals contained within the sugar sequences used in a commonly used biomaterial chitosan that may be used in the construction of synthetic vascular grafts. If we can understand how blood cells interact with this biomaterial, we may be able to develop a blood vessel in the laboratory.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453630
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$274,692.00
Summary
High-Speed Confocal Microscope Live Cell Recording System. The high-speed confocal microscope live cell recording system we are establishing represents new generation equipment. It allows quality imaging of selected subcellular regions of live cells combined with simultaneous electrophysiological recording at rates and sensitivity hitherto not possible. This equipment provides a window of opportunity for major research advances in that it allows real-time two and three-dimensional imaging of fun ....High-Speed Confocal Microscope Live Cell Recording System. The high-speed confocal microscope live cell recording system we are establishing represents new generation equipment. It allows quality imaging of selected subcellular regions of live cells combined with simultaneous electrophysiological recording at rates and sensitivity hitherto not possible. This equipment provides a window of opportunity for major research advances in that it allows real-time two and three-dimensional imaging of fundamental cellular activities that previously could not be viewed. It will allow major advances in priority health-related research and will provide an ideal research tool to introduce young scientists and students to cutting edge research.Read moreRead less
Development of Model Systems to Investigate Blood Hydrodynamic Parameters Affecting Blood Cell Function: An Interdisciplinary Approach. National benefit will come through this research contributing to a better understanding of blood flow biology and pathology, both of which are of particular relevance to the aging Australian population. This benefit is well aligned with the 2008 National research priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health; Priority Goal 3. Preventative Health. The synthes ....Development of Model Systems to Investigate Blood Hydrodynamic Parameters Affecting Blood Cell Function: An Interdisciplinary Approach. National benefit will come through this research contributing to a better understanding of blood flow biology and pathology, both of which are of particular relevance to the aging Australian population. This benefit is well aligned with the 2008 National research priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health; Priority Goal 3. Preventative Health. The synthesis of both extensive expertise in platelet/cardiovascular research and bioengineering/rheology should provide a substantial platform from which fundamental new discoveries in this niche area can be made. The development of novel platelet analysis tools arising from this work may also ultimately lead to new intellectual property and attract industry based funding.Read moreRead less
Heparan sulfate proteoglycan from smooth muscle cell basal lamina: It's role in cell signalling. Heart disease is the major killer of people in the Western world. central to this disease is the killing of heart muscle tissue to it being starved of oxygen via a "heart attack". One of the common treatments is coronary artery bypass surgery, however, the supply of vessels that can be used is limited. In order to provide an alternative supply of vessels, we are aiming to engineer blood vessels i ....Heparan sulfate proteoglycan from smooth muscle cell basal lamina: It's role in cell signalling. Heart disease is the major killer of people in the Western world. central to this disease is the killing of heart muscle tissue to it being starved of oxygen via a "heart attack". One of the common treatments is coronary artery bypass surgery, however, the supply of vessels that can be used is limited. In order to provide an alternative supply of vessels, we are aiming to engineer blood vessels in the laboratory. The major cell of the wall of arteries, the smooth muscle cell, is critical to normal functioning and integration of these transplanted arteries. To do this we will need to understand the cell signalling responses of these cells in relation to molecules in their surrounding environment.Read moreRead less
Examination of the Calcium Signalling Dynamics Linked to Integrin Adhesion Utilising a Novel Micro-imaging System. This study aims at increasing our understanding of the fundamental cell processes that allow cells to adhere to surfaces. The proposed study will lead to a greater understanding of the calcium signalling mechanisms that are fundamental to diverse biological phenomena such as, tissue regeneration and repair, blood clotting, cancer metastasis, and neuronal cell function. From a preven ....Examination of the Calcium Signalling Dynamics Linked to Integrin Adhesion Utilising a Novel Micro-imaging System. This study aims at increasing our understanding of the fundamental cell processes that allow cells to adhere to surfaces. The proposed study will lead to a greater understanding of the calcium signalling mechanisms that are fundamental to diverse biological phenomena such as, tissue regeneration and repair, blood clotting, cancer metastasis, and neuronal cell function. From a preventative health perspective, the investigation of platelet calcium signalling will greatly accelerate the development of new pharmaceuticals to tackle acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, heart attack and artherosclerosis. Read moreRead less
Biochemistry of tropoelastin and elastin. Elastin is the main protein responsible for the elasticity of vertebrate tissues. The Weiss Lab makes large quantities of full-length tropoelastin, which is crosslinked to make elastin. We want to examine the biochemistry of tropoelastin, learn how its domains participate in elastin structure and assembly, and explore cellular responses to our synthetic elastin biomaterial. Remarkably little is known of this biochemistry because elastin is a highly cross ....Biochemistry of tropoelastin and elastin. Elastin is the main protein responsible for the elasticity of vertebrate tissues. The Weiss Lab makes large quantities of full-length tropoelastin, which is crosslinked to make elastin. We want to examine the biochemistry of tropoelastin, learn how its domains participate in elastin structure and assembly, and explore cellular responses to our synthetic elastin biomaterial. Remarkably little is known of this biochemistry because elastin is a highly cross-linked and substantially insoluble macroscopic network of tropoelastin multimers. Our availability of tropoelastin and synthetic elastin now makes these studies possible.Read moreRead less
Development and Characterization of Chemokine Receptor Mimics. The proposed research will provide important fundamental insights into the molecular events underlying inflammatory diseases and cancer metastasis. The innovative nature of the research and the significance of the results will enhance Australia's international research standing. Moreover, the insights gained from this work will contribute to the development of therapies that will ultimately enhance the quality of life for Australia ....Development and Characterization of Chemokine Receptor Mimics. The proposed research will provide important fundamental insights into the molecular events underlying inflammatory diseases and cancer metastasis. The innovative nature of the research and the significance of the results will enhance Australia's international research standing. Moreover, the insights gained from this work will contribute to the development of therapies that will ultimately enhance the quality of life for Australians.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and consequences of oxidation of glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans by myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation r ....Mechanisms and consequences of oxidation of glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans by myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in weakening the structure of lesions and making them prone to rupture. Little is known about the fundamental chemistry of such damage; this will be addressed in the proposed program. The data obtained will underpin the development of new preventative and protective strategies to minimise lesion rupture and deaths from this major disease.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and consequences of myeloperoxidase-mediated damage to glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in we ....Mechanisms and consequences of myeloperoxidase-mediated damage to glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in weakening the structure of lesions and making them prone to rupture. Little is known about the fundamental chemistry of such damage; this will be addressed in the proposed program. The data obtained will underpin the development of new preventative and protective strategies to minimise lesion rupture and deaths from this major disease.Read moreRead less