In spite of significant progress, inflammatory diseases remain poorly understood and difficult to treat and are of growing public health importance. This fellowship application is for translational research on improving treatment for inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. It will link the senior clinical appointments of Prof Ian Wicks in Rheumatology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital with his appointment as Head of the Inflammation Division at the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of M ....In spite of significant progress, inflammatory diseases remain poorly understood and difficult to treat and are of growing public health importance. This fellowship application is for translational research on improving treatment for inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. It will link the senior clinical appointments of Prof Ian Wicks in Rheumatology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital with his appointment as Head of the Inflammation Division at the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.Read moreRead less
Age-dependent Regulation Of Type 2 Immunity By Dermal Innate Lymphoid Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$609,281.00
Summary
Type 2 immune responses are critical for the defense against worm infections, but can also cause allergic reactions. How type 2 immunity is regulated is poorly understood. The aim of this application is to define the function of a newly discovered skin immune cell population, dermal type 2 innate lymphoid cell, in cutaneous worm infections and allergies. We anticipate that our studies will aid in the development of strategies to prevent or treat skin allergies and parasitic infections.
PB1-F2 Is Critical To Influenza A Virus Pathogenicity Through Activation Of The Inflammasome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$663,919.00
Summary
Fatal Influenza A virus infections are excessive inflammation. We identified the IAV protein PB1-F2 as critical in driving excessive inflammation via activating the host inflammasome complex. Our study evaluates PB1-F2-mediated inflammation contribution to inflammatory responses. Identifying PB1-F2 in emerging IAV strains is invaluable in aiding health policy makers to quickly assess fatal IAV pandemics. Our research will potentially identify treatment targets towards reducing this inflammation
Mammals have evolved an array of mechanisms to sense microbes. These immune sentinels must distinguish self from non-self to activate an immune response. The initiation, amplification and quenching of an immune response is carefully orchestrated to eliminate invading pathogens while minimising collateral damage to host tissues. This research focuses on proteins that prevent inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease and skin diseases.
There are two arms to the immune system, one that learns and adapts, which can cause autoimmune disease, and another that is immediate and innate, and can cause autoinflammatory disease. This proposal continues our work in the characterization of rare genetic autoinflammatory disesaes and extrapolates these studies to more common chronic inflammatory diseases. This stands to improve current diagnosis and treatment, and elucidate future drug targets that could be targeted clinically.
Many white blood cells have an innate ability to sense infection, and trigger inflammation to fight invading microbes. These innate immune cells use particular receptors to sense pathogens and we have now identified a new pathway that leads to the activation of one of these, known as Pyrin. Genetic mutations can activate this pathway, and our project will determine the molecular basis for this, and how it can be targeted to treat inflammatory disease.
Manipulating The Fine-turning Of The Innate Immune Response In Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$938,910.00
Summary
I am an international expert on the body’s first-line defense system, the innate immune response. My Fellowship focuses on studying and manipulating innate immune molecules called interferons. My research will lead to improved management of female reproductive disease, autoimmune disorders, infections and cancer through new diagnostics and therapies targeting the interferon system. The basic knowledge I generate on regulating the immune response will be applicable to a range of medical fields.
Structural And Functional Studies Of The Human IL-3 Receptor
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
This proposal will study a protein hormone that is implicated in blood cell cancers and inflammatory diseases and for which current treatments are inadequate. We will determine how the hormone receptor becomes activated, identify and characterise new agents that block this activation. This information will help in the development of new and highly specific drugs for use in certain cancers in inflammatory diseases.
The Interferon System In Innate Immune Responses To Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$836,818.00
Summary
My research investigates special proteins called cytokines in the body’s first-line defence against infection, inflammation and cancer. I will characterise how cells respond, the signals that mediate effects, using sophisticated genetic and new computational techniques to manage and analyse data. One focus is a new cytokine we discovered that protects against infections of the reproductive tract –a global health and socio-economic problem affecting 1 billion people.