Cancers of the skin are the most common tumours in humans, and their diagnosis and treatment impose the largest costs on Australia’s cancer budget. While much has been learned about the roles of sunlight and skin type as risk factors for skin cancer, relatively little is known about the genes conferring risk. This study will compare the genetic profiles of over 6000 patients with skin cancer to 3000 people without skin cancer to pinpoint the genes responsible for skin cancer.
Physiologically-based Pharmacokinetics And Pharmacodynamics Of Therapeutic Stem Cells For Liver Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$848,710.00
Summary
This project focuses on the challenging area of effective and optimal dosing cell-based therapy for liver diseases. We will investigate the fate and therapeutic effects of natural, modified and artificial therapeutic cells in the body and in liver regions using a physiologically-based kinetic model. Our key goal is advance cell therapy by providing a better understanding and dosing guidelines.
Functional Dyspepsia: Characterisation Of The Immunopathology And Testing A Novel Therapeutic Strategy.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$739,604.00
Summary
Dyspepsia, unexplained stomach discomfort and pain, is a common and costly problem; few effective treatments exist and the causes are unknown. We have found that the numbers of a type of immune cell, the eosinophil, are increased in the top of the small bowel in patients with dyspepsia. This study will explore the mechanisms that lead to increased eosinophils and then test the effectiveness of a treatment to suppress this overactive immune response which could rapidly change clinical practice.
Cultivated Corneal Endothelial Cell Implants For Restoring Vision
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$886,032.00
Summary
Thousands of Australians each year receive a corneal tissue transplant from the eyes of a deceased organ donor. In the majority of cases these transplants are performed to restore structure and function to the most posterior layer of the cornea – the corneal endothelium. The reliance upon donor tissue, however, presents significant logistical and safety issues. Our goal is therefore to develop improved strategies for treating diseases of the corneal endothelium using cultivated tissue implants.
Cellular Cross-talk Between Liver Progenitor Cells And Hepatic Stellate Cells Is Required For Hepatic Fibrogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$618,517.00
Summary
Deloitte Access Economics data proposes the total economic burden of liver disease in Australia in 2012 was >$50 billion. This study will identify how the liver heals itself by inducing liver cell populations which interact to regenerate damaged liver tissue in chronic liver disease. This knowledge may lead to the development of novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of liver scarring and liver cancer, and to assist in normal liver regeneration following chronic liver disease.
Deciphering Signalling Pathways Regulating Iron Homeostasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$407,402.00
Summary
Iron overload and anaemia are two of the most significant health problems affecting humans. Understanding how the body regulates iron levels is key to our understanding of these disorders and to the future development of new therapies. This research is aimed at understanding how a hormone produced in the liver called hepcidin that maintains iron balance is regulated. This research may lead to novel therapies aimed at correcting the iron balance in conditions of iron overload or anaemia.
Innate Immune Signalling In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$562,857.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat that causes 1.5 million deaths every year. This study will characterise a new molecular control mechanism that optimises the immune response to the bacteria that cause TB and determine how it contributes to controlling the infection. Such knowledge is essential to help improve patient management and develop better treatments for this devastating disease.
Fighting Epidermal Skin Cancers By Targeting Epidermal Clones That Accumulate Mutations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,149,373.00
Summary
Common skin cancers such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas (BCC and SCC) are by far the most frequent cancer worldwide and require over a million interventions per year in Australia. This project will identify the skin cells that are most susceptible to give rise to cancer if excessively exposed to the sun and explores ways to prevent cancer formation. This will inform on new strategies to prevent new skin cancer development.
Tracking Epidermal Clonal Evolution During Skin Cancer Induction And Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$558,168.00
Summary
Skin cancer is the most frequent form of cancer in Australia and in many parts of the world. It is strongly connected to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In this project, we will use our capacity to track individual cells, to observe the heterogeneity of tumours and the lesions that precede them. We will show the importance of this heterogeneity in tumour progression unveiling the limits of current therapies against skin cancer.
A Novel Role For The IL-2 Pathway In Type-1-diabetes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$548,548.00
Summary
Genes encoding IL-2 and its receptor are strongly linked to susceptibility to multiple autoimmune diseases, including type-1-diabetes. Despite the importance of this pathway in the immune system, it is not yet understood how the associated genes affect disease. In this study, a novel function for IL-2 expression by dendritic cells in normal self-tolerance is investigated. The impacts of dendritic cell produced IL-2 expression and linkage to autoimmunity will be elucidated in both mouse and man.