Does CD123 Provide A Biological Advantage To Leukaemia Stem Cells?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$647,637.00
Summary
Leukaemia is a devastating form of blood cancer affecting both young and old. We need to understand the diseased stem cell to eradicate this disease. Current therapy is poorly tolerated and the majority of patients ultimately die at relapse. We intend to investigate how we can make the cells more susceptible to therapy by understanding their biology.
Cytokine Signalling And The Regulation Of Normal And Leukaemic Blood Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$948,684.00
Summary
The formation and actions of white blood cells are regulated by protein messengers called cytokines. Cytokines deliver their message by inducing the activation of signalling pathways that orchestrate the cell’s response to infection but when these responses occur too robustly or at inappropriate times they can lead to autoimmune disease, tissue damage and blood cancers. We study the naturally occurring feedback inhibitors of these processes in order to devise new treatments for these diseases.
Suppressor Of Cytokine Signalling (SOCS4) Is A Critical Regulator Of The Anti-viral Immune Response
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$616,912.00
Summary
The SOCS proteins are negative regulators of cytokine signalling and immune cell development and function. SOCS4 is the last remaining SOCS protein for which there is no described function or intracellular target. We intend to use well-defined acute and chronic viral disease models, and investigate the role of SOCS4 in infection in order to unravel its function. We will also search for its binding partners and intracellular targets, and determine the signalling pathways regulated by SOCS4.
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.
Exploring And Targeting The Anti-Inflammatory Signalling Mechanisms Of Interleukin 37
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,018,306.00
Summary
Cytokines are messenger proteins that function as master regulators of biological processes; thus they play central roles in many diseases. The rare cytokines that block inflammation do so by dampening the immune system’s potentially destructive force, making them attractive targets for drug development. We showed that interleukin 37 is a powerful anti-inflammatory cytokine, and will now evaluate its mechanisms of action and its efficacy against several severe diseases, including cancer.
Molecular Characterisation Of A New Survival Pathway In Haematopoietic Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$571,631.00
Summary
It is critical for normal health that cells regulate their responses to changes in the the extracellular environment. Receptors on the cell surface are triggered by specific proteins called cytokines, and relay information to the cell interior. These messages include signaling whether cells should survive and proliferate. Inappropriate activation of signals for survival and proliferation is a hallmark of cancer. We are investigating a new survival signal and how this contributes to the survival ....It is critical for normal health that cells regulate their responses to changes in the the extracellular environment. Receptors on the cell surface are triggered by specific proteins called cytokines, and relay information to the cell interior. These messages include signaling whether cells should survive and proliferate. Inappropriate activation of signals for survival and proliferation is a hallmark of cancer. We are investigating a new survival signal and how this contributes to the survival of normal cells and to diseases such as leukaemia.Read moreRead less
Cytokine-driven Allergic Inflammation: Characterization Of Two Isoform-specific Modes Of IL-3 Receptor Activation And Investigation Of New Receptor-associated Signalling Partners.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$620,716.00
Summary
In asthma, the symptoms are caused by an allergic reaction in the lung orchestrated by immune cells which produce small proteins called cytokines thus stimulating inflammatory cell production. The cytokine IL-3 is critical for the production of basophils which have an important role in the inflammation. The project will investigate the molecular details of how the IL-3 binds to its receptor and stimulates basophil production and reveal new targets for controlling inflammation in asthma.