Development Of A Novel Biosensor Using Magnetically Amplified Luminescence For The Early Detection Of Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$267,500.00
Summary
Cancer is often not detected until it has invaded surrounding tissues and spread to other organs. Current treatment is then often ineffective, and prognosis poor. Early detection of cancer is therefore essential for improved disease management. Such methods must be cheap, non-invasive, and rapid with high sensitivity and specificity. We are investigating a new biosensor technology that satisfies these criteria. This method uses magnetically amplified luminescence for the detection of low levels ....Cancer is often not detected until it has invaded surrounding tissues and spread to other organs. Current treatment is then often ineffective, and prognosis poor. Early detection of cancer is therefore essential for improved disease management. Such methods must be cheap, non-invasive, and rapid with high sensitivity and specificity. We are investigating a new biosensor technology that satisfies these criteria. This method uses magnetically amplified luminescence for the detection of low levels of cancer cells in clinical samples (urine, faeces, blood, biopsy), using telomerase as a marker.Read moreRead less
Oxidation Of Mismatch: A New Concept For Mutation Detection Which Avoides A Separation Method In Mutation Scanning
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$143,000.00
Summary
Detection of faults (mutations) in genes is expensive but essential for proper genetic health care. Because of the cost of such tests many people are not diagnosed either through diagnostic labs or research of the cost of such tests many people are not diagnosed either through diagnostic labs or research projects. Such research projects are inhibited due to the complexity of the current methods. Current methods are complex and expensive, especially looking for a possible fault, due to what is ca ....Detection of faults (mutations) in genes is expensive but essential for proper genetic health care. Because of the cost of such tests many people are not diagnosed either through diagnostic labs or research of the cost of such tests many people are not diagnosed either through diagnostic labs or research projects. Such research projects are inhibited due to the complexity of the current methods. Current methods are complex and expensive, especially looking for a possible fault, due to what is called a preparation step on complex and expensive equipment. We will develop and commercialise a simpler test because separation is avoided.Read moreRead less
Mechanical Mobility Of The Thorax For Continuous Determination Of Lung Gas Volume
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$165,000.00
Summary
Percussion is a valuable clinical method for physical examination of parts of the body. A sharp tap (impulsive force) is applied to the body wall and the sound radiated in response is observed. This sound may be dull (over liver) or stony dull (pleural effusion), or resonant (over normal lung) or hyper-resonant (over bowel). While the variation in radiated sound is not fully understood, it is apparent that the presence of gas, which is highly compliant, increases mobility of the overlying tissue ....Percussion is a valuable clinical method for physical examination of parts of the body. A sharp tap (impulsive force) is applied to the body wall and the sound radiated in response is observed. This sound may be dull (over liver) or stony dull (pleural effusion), or resonant (over normal lung) or hyper-resonant (over bowel). While the variation in radiated sound is not fully understood, it is apparent that the presence of gas, which is highly compliant, increases mobility of the overlying tissue and allows it to resonate; where the sub-tissue is largely fluid, tissue mobility is low and the percussive sound is dull. Percussion is useful for examining the adult chest and lung, but cannot for example be applied in infant intensive care as only limited impulsive force can be used, and the adult finger, which is both a coupling device and sounding board, is too large. As well, percussion requires skill and quiet conditions. Accordingly, we developed a device to measure mobility of the chest and other tissues in real time. The VibroPulse applies a known low-level force to the body surface and records the resultant velocity induced in the surface. The force is generated by a vibrating mass set in motion by an electromagnetic motor driven by pseudo-random noise. Tissue mobility, defined as velocity-force, is derived simultaneously across the frequency range, providing an easily interpreted quantitative output unaffected by ambient noise. This proposal has two aims we can achieve in 1 year: (1) to continue evaluating VibroPulse sensitivity to tissue composition, using symmetrical percussive sites on the human chest and abdomen that are dull on one side and resonant on the other, and the chest of anaesthetised animals with experimentally induced pneumothorax and lung collapse, two life-threatening conditions for which percussion is a key diagnostic method, and (2) to engineer a small device from our bulky prototype that is suitable for clinical use, in infants and adults.Read moreRead less
The Diagnosis, Biomarker Identification And Measurement Of Drug Efficacy In Mental Illness And Neurological Conditions.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$119,050.00
Summary
Globally, 2 billion people suffer from a neuropsychiatric illness. The cost is more than US$2 trillion a year. Hampering early intervention is the current lack of definitive, quantitative techniques for diagnosis and measurement of treatment efficacy. This research will determine whether the disease fingerprints produced by a new technique, EVestG, are diagnostically unique (to schizophrenia, depression and Parkinson's disease) and sensitive to disease progression and treatment response.
A New Non-invasive Diagnostic Technique Based On Detection Of Exhaled Respiratory Pathogens.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$179,300.00
Summary
We developed a special collection mask and showed that the breath of people with colds or flu contains a tiny amount of virus. Currently, diagnostic samples are collected by putting a tube into the airways - this is very uncomfortable. Our masks may provide a new and more comfortable way to diagnose lung infections. We want to build better masks and ways to detect viruses and bacteria to test out this method. This may create a new test that will improve diagnosis and treatment.
Improved electrophysiological mapping techniques have enhanced understanding of arrhythmia mechanisms and the development of curative ablation strategies. Advanced mapping systems utilize online visualization of catheters, 3D geometry, and annotation of ablation sites. To date, all commercially available systems rely on proprietary equipment to locate catheter positions and reconstruct chamber shape from multiple site recordings. Thus, cost is prohibitive, limiting widespread availability. An al ....Improved electrophysiological mapping techniques have enhanced understanding of arrhythmia mechanisms and the development of curative ablation strategies. Advanced mapping systems utilize online visualization of catheters, 3D geometry, and annotation of ablation sites. To date, all commercially available systems rely on proprietary equipment to locate catheter positions and reconstruct chamber shape from multiple site recordings. Thus, cost is prohibitive, limiting widespread availability. An alternative approach has emerged with the use of CT-MRI imaging and analysis. Novel techniques extract images of the endocardial surface from CT-MRI for use in electrophysiological mapping. This surface can be used as the chamber geometry instead of reconstruction based on expensive technology measuring spatial coordinates of the catheter tip inside heart. The proposed Anatomical Template Mapping System (ATMS) will generate maps of electrophysiological parameters derived from catheter recordings without the need for proprietary equipment. The physician will direct the virtual catheter position onto the 3D model of the chamber, obviating the need for equipment to map the spatial distribution of the catheters. The major advantage is that, without the need for specialized equipment, this method of mapping is substantially cheaper and can be used with any conventional electrophysiological mapping systems. Furthermore, it will provide the most important feature of the advanced mapping systems - an understanding of the arrhythmia mechanism.Read moreRead less
A Novel Non-invasive Diagnostic Imaging Technique Of Metastatic Cancer Using Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 2.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$187,750.00
Summary
This project aims to develop a non-invasive tumour diagnostic imaging agent based on a non-toxic protein (PAI2) that we know specifically identifies a critical marker of malignancy. PAI2 will be labelled with commonly used imaging radioisotopes. This novel imaging technique has important potential clinical uses including, determination of the most appropriate treatment for individual patients, assessing the success of such treatments, and a novel non-invasive prognostic indicator of malignancy.
Novel Genes And Protein In Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Potential Basis Of A Serum-based Assessment Of Disease Sta
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
The most common cause of elevated liver function tests is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NALFD is a spectrum of disease ranging from steatosis, to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition associated with the development of fibrosis in the majority of individuals. Approximately 20% and 3% of adults are affected with NAFLD and NASH, respectively, and NAFLD is expected to become the next major liver epidemic facing the western world, far exceeding the prevalence of chronic infe ....The most common cause of elevated liver function tests is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NALFD is a spectrum of disease ranging from steatosis, to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition associated with the development of fibrosis in the majority of individuals. Approximately 20% and 3% of adults are affected with NAFLD and NASH, respectively, and NAFLD is expected to become the next major liver epidemic facing the western world, far exceeding the prevalence of chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus. We obtained liver biopsies from patients with NAFLD, 80% of whom had NASH, and determined the expression profile analysis of each subject using 19,200 element microarrays. Our data demonstrates the concordant differential expression of 130 genes, in subjects with NAFLD that were categorizes into 6 major metabolic and regulatory pathways. Many of these genes represented uncharacterised genes. Utilising an extensive bioinformatics approach we have been able to define the genes and their protein product. The use of these proteins as a diagnostic tool for the detection of NAFLD forms the basis of a provisional patent application. However, measurements of protein levels in tissue and sera from patients with NAFLD are needed for the development of a diagnostic method. Such information would also provide significant insight into the pathogenesis of NAFLD. The AIMS are: 1) Production of antibodies against proteins encoded by candidate genes Expression profile of candidate genes 3) Expression of proteins encoded by candidate genes in patients with NAFLDRead moreRead less