This project will substantially improve our understanding of the potential causes of vascular complications of pregnancy including preeclampsia, and provide a solid foundation to develop new clinical interventions for women who develop this disease during their pregnancy. It will also investigate if a peptide hormone, relaxin, could be an effective treatment to manage the health of women diagnosed with preeclampsia during their pregnancy and prevent delivery of severely premature infants.
Selective Isolation And In Vivo Properties Of Dopamine Neurons Generated From Embryonic Stem Cells.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$505,389.00
Summary
This research aims to develop a procedure that allows for the safe and effective use of stem cells as a therapy for Parkinson’s disease. It is based on the concept that new dopamine neurons, generated from stem cells, can be implanted into the brain of the patients in order to replace those lost to the disease, thereby improving motor function.
Cognitive Outcome And Therapeutic Interventions For Coronary Artery Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,104.00
Summary
Dementia is recognized as an increasingly important factor affecting quality of life as people age. Deaths from heart disease are declining, in part due to improved surgical techniques and to the use of less invasive methods to keep arteries open such as coronary stenting. It is now well known that 20 to 60% of patients experience some degree of impairment in thinking ability (cognitive impairment) after cardiac surgery, that this will persist in some of these individuals for years and may incre ....Dementia is recognized as an increasingly important factor affecting quality of life as people age. Deaths from heart disease are declining, in part due to improved surgical techniques and to the use of less invasive methods to keep arteries open such as coronary stenting. It is now well known that 20 to 60% of patients experience some degree of impairment in thinking ability (cognitive impairment) after cardiac surgery, that this will persist in some of these individuals for years and may increase the risk of long-term problems. Cognitive impairment affects people in many ways. While it is not yet known whether the occurrence of cognitive impairment predisposes to dementia, it is thought that Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) may do so. We propose to explore the link between MCI and Post Procedural Cognitive Deficit (PPCD) in patients with coronary disease from before the first point of objective diagnosis, i.e. prior to the coronary angiogram, and over a 12-month period, through and subsequent to further treatment interventions such as stenting or cardiac surgery. Our Pilot data suggest that PPCD does indeed occur after angiography, and we propose to identify how long this lasts, whether MCI predisposes to it and whether it is better to wait until it resolves before further interventions are undertaken. In this way we hope to identify the safest treatment strategy for patients with coronary disease that will minimize the occurrence of Cognitive Deficit and possibly longer-term cognitive changes after investigation and treatment for their symptoms.Read moreRead less
Innovative Technology for At-Scene Forensic Analysis using Microfluidics and Chemiluminescence. The major outcome of this project will be innovative reagents and strategies optimised for the detection of priority analytes such as drugs, explosives and chemical warfare agents. These will utilise a new technology platform based upon laboratory on a chip/microfluidics to enable the development of analytical methodologies suitable for use at crime scenes.This programme of research falls within a Nat ....Innovative Technology for At-Scene Forensic Analysis using Microfluidics and Chemiluminescence. The major outcome of this project will be innovative reagents and strategies optimised for the detection of priority analytes such as drugs, explosives and chemical warfare agents. These will utilise a new technology platform based upon laboratory on a chip/microfluidics to enable the development of analytical methodologies suitable for use at crime scenes.This programme of research falls within a National Research Priority namely 'Protecting Australia from terrorism and crime'. Through our current forensic science research collaboration the outcomes will build significantly on Australia's existing strengths in rapid detection using new analytical technologies.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989125
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Enhanced Capacity in Ultra-Trace Level Detection and Speciation of Compounds of Environmental, Biological and Materials Science Interest. The proposed integrated facility will strongly support collaborative research in areas of high national priority. These are environmental sustainability, development of new materials and designing molecules of therapeutic value on the basis of better understanding the relevant biological processes. This support will lead to maximizing the outcomes of numerous ....Enhanced Capacity in Ultra-Trace Level Detection and Speciation of Compounds of Environmental, Biological and Materials Science Interest. The proposed integrated facility will strongly support collaborative research in areas of high national priority. These are environmental sustainability, development of new materials and designing molecules of therapeutic value on the basis of better understanding the relevant biological processes. This support will lead to maximizing the outcomes of numerous projects already funded by the Australian Research Council which require accurate and highly sensitive analysis. This will improve the cost effectiveness of research funding and will further strengthen the outstanding reputation of Australia science worldwide.Read moreRead less
Identifying The Epigenomic Fingerprint Of Coronary Heart Disease In Chinese Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$596,663.00
Summary
Once people get diabetes, even good glucose control may be insufficient to prevent its complications. Diabetes results in molecular imprinting contributing to an increased risk of heart disease. We believe it is possible to identify this imprinted risk by a sophisticated analysis of a standard blood sample. Validating this hypothesis will lead to new biomarkers to identify individuals at increased risk of heart attacks as well as new strategies for the prevention and treatment of heart disease.
Advanced micro analysis systems for environmental monitoring. Understanding of the behaviour of the nutrients controlling nuisance algae in water bodies is currently limited by the cost and logistics of collecting and analysing the large numbers of samples required.
This proposal describes the development and evaluation of portable multiparameter micro analysis systems that will be capable of high frequency measurements from a sampling vessel. This will enable environmental agencies to perfo ....Advanced micro analysis systems for environmental monitoring. Understanding of the behaviour of the nutrients controlling nuisance algae in water bodies is currently limited by the cost and logistics of collecting and analysing the large numbers of samples required.
This proposal describes the development and evaluation of portable multiparameter micro analysis systems that will be capable of high frequency measurements from a sampling vessel. This will enable environmental agencies to perform rapid on-site mapping of nutrients and other water quality parameters in large water bodies, intensive scale mapping of effluent mixing and dispersal zones, quick assessment of the impact of dredging and aquaculture, and compliance monitoring in effluent streams.
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The Application of Polymer Inclusion Membranes for the Removal of Thiocyanate and Cyanide from Gold Ore Processing Wastewaters. The recovery of gold at Stawell Gold Mine can be improved by using cyanide and thiocyanate free water in the milling process. The aim of this research is the development of a novel separation technology for the removal of these two ions from mine wastewater to allow it to be recycled. Novel polymeric materials, known as polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), which have nev ....The Application of Polymer Inclusion Membranes for the Removal of Thiocyanate and Cyanide from Gold Ore Processing Wastewaters. The recovery of gold at Stawell Gold Mine can be improved by using cyanide and thiocyanate free water in the milling process. The aim of this research is the development of a novel separation technology for the removal of these two ions from mine wastewater to allow it to be recycled. Novel polymeric materials, known as polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), which have never been used before in industrial separation, will be at the centre of this technology. In addition to increasing gold recovery, this technology is expected to reduce substantially the reliance of the Australian goldmining industry on fresh water. This research will also promote PIM based separation as a viable industrial separation technology, applicable in other areas.Read moreRead less
Suppression Of NADPH Oxidase-derived Oxidative Stress By Anti-sense Probes And HDL In Human Vascular Endothelium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,250.00
Summary
In Australia, coronary heart disease (CHD) causing heart attacks remains the largest cause of death, claiming a staggering 28,000 lives a year. Oxidative stress, resulting from increased production of oxygen free radicals in arteries, is an important cause of CHD, heart attacks and strokes. We seek to understand how such oxyradicals are produced in the key cells that form the lining of all arteries, known as the vascular endothelium. By using novel DNA-type molecules (known as anti-sense) develo ....In Australia, coronary heart disease (CHD) causing heart attacks remains the largest cause of death, claiming a staggering 28,000 lives a year. Oxidative stress, resulting from increased production of oxygen free radicals in arteries, is an important cause of CHD, heart attacks and strokes. We seek to understand how such oxyradicals are produced in the key cells that form the lining of all arteries, known as the vascular endothelium. By using novel DNA-type molecules (known as anti-sense) developed in our laboratory, which block a particular gene causing oxidative stress, we will determine whether this gene is responsible for the formation of oxyradicals in human and mouse cells grown in culture. In addition, we will explore whether this gene is turned on by factors known to be involved in CHD. Finally, we will also investigate whether the good cholesterol known as HDL can act to prevent oxidative stress in human cells, as we discovered it appears to do in living arteries in vivo. If we find it has the same protective effect in endothelium, we will determine how it does this, and which component proteins of the HDL particle are important. This might suggest new treatments to prevent acute events leading to heart attack and stroke, and possibly new applications where damage appears to result from acute oxidative stress, such as in the brain soon after a stroke has occurred. We also have a plan to develop antisense drugs that will target the important gene specifically in the affected endothelium. In addition, we have other specific new drugs that will block this system in arteries. Simultaneously we will be testing the role of this gene in mouse and rabbit models of artery disease, for both our types of drugs might provide valuable new therapeutic agents to target the underlying cause of CHD and not just its symptoms as current drugs do.Read moreRead less