IL-16 Regulates Mast Cell Chemotaxis And Function Through The Tetraspanin CD9.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$465,750.00
Summary
Mast cells are found in humans and other mammals at strategic sites such as skin, lining of the airways and gut and provide a first line of defence against a variety of infections. These cells use a number of products that have profound effects in humans. In particular, these products are thought to be involved in defence against bacteria, viruses and are implicated in allergic conditions such as asthma. In normal circumstances mast cells are only found in the tissues and not in the peripheral b ....Mast cells are found in humans and other mammals at strategic sites such as skin, lining of the airways and gut and provide a first line of defence against a variety of infections. These cells use a number of products that have profound effects in humans. In particular, these products are thought to be involved in defence against bacteria, viruses and are implicated in allergic conditions such as asthma. In normal circumstances mast cells are only found in the tissues and not in the peripheral blood. However, we have made the first observation that mast-like cells occur in the peripheral blood of patients with asthma and allergic conditions but not in normals. This finding changed the prevailing paradigm for mast cell biology. The products that can influence mast cell growth and function are vital to the understanding of how mast cells are involved in conditions such as human asthma. We have demonstrated that a protein (CD9) on mast cells in the tetraspanin family is a receptor for a product (IL-16) which is thought to be important in asthma and other inflammatory conditions. The understanding of how mast cells are regulated by IL-16 may lead to potential new therapies in conditions such as asthma and HIV-1 infection.Read moreRead less
How Are Axons Guided To Their Targets In The Developing Nervous System?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$329,644.00
Summary
Many neurodevelopmental disorders are probably the result of wiring defects. In this project we will use new technologies to study how growing nerve fibres are steered to their targets during development, and use this data to create new mathematical models which can predict which way nerve fibres should grow in different situations. This will advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying both normal and abnormal brain development.