Innovative Use Of Hydrogel Technology To Recapitulate And Investigate Cardiac Pathology.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$716,162.00
Summary
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden death in the young. No treatment exists that can reverse or prevent it, primarily because the underlying mechanisms of the disease have not been fully elucidated. I will use innovative hydrogel technology to simulate the disease state. I will use this as a tool to identify the mechanisms involved with development of the disease. This will enable identification of potential therapeutic targets for prevention of the disease.
Regulating Gene Expression Changes In Cardiac Hypertrophy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$690,754.00
Summary
Following the success in decoding human genome, i.e. DNA sequence, a major task is to understand how the activity of genes with consequent changes in respective proteins. As proteins are an important component for cell structure and function, such changes in quantity and quality of proteins will play a pivotal role to affect disease development and progression.
CCR4/NOT Complex Is A Conserved Regulator Of Heart Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$467,567.00
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases kill an Australian every 11 minutes. The goal of this proposal is to characterize the role of the conserved heart regulators in cardiac function and disease. Our combined multi-species and informatics approach has identified a major disease locus for sudden cardiac death in humans, which we propose to characterize. This work can lead to new classes of drugs to improve cardiac health and also aid in early diagnosis of patients susceptible to sudden cardiac death.
Targeting PI3K-regulated Small Non-coding RNAs To Restore Cardiac Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$610,204.00
Summary
Heart failure affects approximately 2.4% of the adult population and over 11% of people over 80 years old. The majority of existing therapies slow, rather than reverse heart failure progression. The primary goal of this study is to determine whether regulating novel regulatory genes can enhance cardiac function in a setting of heart failure. Ultimately, technologies that target these genes may lead to innovative pharmacotherapies in the clinical management of heart failure.
A Novel Therapy For The Prevention And Treatment Of Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$835,972.00
Summary
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetic disorder that leads to enlargement of the heart, cardiac failure and sudden death. No treatment exists that can reverse or prevent the cardiomyopathy. In this proposal we will determine whether a peptide (Patent WO2013/113060) targeting a calcium channel can prevent or reverse the cardiomyopathy as a novel treatment for the disease.
Targeting A New Regulator Of Cardiac Pathology To Protect The Heart From Cardiac Dysfunction And Arrhythmia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$717,857.00
Summary
Heart failure is associated with high mortality, and treatment of this condition represents a major unmet need. We recently reported that specific lipid species are elevated in hearts of mice with heart failure. The goal of this study is to comprehensively examine the therapeutic potential of targeting these lipid species with drugs.
Facilitating The Increase In Pulmonary Blood Flow At Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$617,729.00
Summary
Pulmonary hypertension in newborn infants is a significant problem that is very difficult to treat because we do not understand how blood flow through the lungs increases at birth. We have recently shown that currently believed mechanisms controlling blood flow at birth are incorrect and additional factors exist. Our experiments will determine factors that affect blood flow through the lungs at birth. This information will be used to improve the care of newborns with pulmonary hypertension.
Investigation Of Cardiac Stem Cell Regenerative Capabilities And Their Enhancement By Manipulation Of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$491,462.00
Summary
Heart failure rates are increasing exponentially in Australia and worldwide. One in two people diagnosed with severe heart failure will die within one year of diagnosis. This burden of heart failure is underpinned by the heart’s limited capacity for self-repair after injury. This limitation could be overcome by stimulating newly discovered stem cell populations residing within the adult heart itself. This project investigates ways to harness and enhance the power of these stem cells.
Identification Of A MicroRNA-based Therapy For The Diabetic Heart
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$527,723.00
Summary
The incidence of diabetes is rising globally. The heart undergoes adverse remodelling in a setting of type 1 and 2 diabetes (diabetic heart/ diabetic cardiomyopathy) and this is associated with an increased risk for developing heart failure. New therapies for the diabetic heart are greatly needed. In this project we aim to identify and develop a novel therapy for the diabetic heart.
Regulation Of RyR2 Channels By Calmodulin In Healthy And Diseased Hearts
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$614,421.00
Summary
In the heart, RyR2 is responsible for intracellular Ca2+ release. The RyR2 is comprised of a Ca2+ channel and accessory proteins such as CaM that regulate channel activity. Evidence suggests that RyR2 regulation by CaM is altered in heart failure and human arrhythmia syndromes, but there has been no direct evidence for this. We will provide this direct evidence plus determine how CaM regulates RyR2 channels and intracellular Ca2+ release and how this leads to cardiac arrhythmias.