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Melanotransferrin: A “Missing Link” And A Novel Pharmacological Target For Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$613,848.00
Summary
Despite >30 years of research, the precise function of the protein, melanotransferrin (MTf), is unknown. However, we have breakthrough evidence that MTf stimulates WNT signalling as a major driver in cancer progression. We will investigate this hypothesis, which will underpin new cancer therapies. Indeed, we designed a new class of drugs that target the WNT pathway via up-regulating the WNT inhibitor, NDRG1. This drug (DpC) inhibits MTf expression to block tumour cell growth and metastasis.
Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia And Thrombosis: Better Understanding Of Pathogenesis And Improving Diagnosis And Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,137.00
Summary
Heparin, a widely used drug, can cause an adverse effect which results in a fall of the platelet count and the development of serious thrombosis. This drug complication is mediated by an immune mechanism. This proposal aims to provide a better understanding of the disease mechanism. It also aims to develop a new test that will improve the diagnosis, and to produce a novel drug that will effectively suppress the immune reaction and improve the treatment.
Pharmacology Of Potential Anti-Tumour Agents: Iron Chelators Of The BpT Class
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$585,455.00
Summary
Pharmacology of Potential Anti-Tumour Agents: Iron Chelators of the BpT Class Cancer cells have a high iron requirement for DNA synthesis and many clinical trials showed Fe chelators are effective anti-cancer drugs. Their potential to act as anti-tumour agents has been confirmed by the entrance of Triapine into widespread NCI clinical trials. In this NHMRC Renewal, we will perform pharmacological and preclinical studies to promote the development of BpT chelators as novel anti-tumour agents.
ADAM Metalloprotease Inhibition For Treatment Of Colorectal Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$770,925.00
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) causes over 4000 deaths/year, typically from developing drug resistance and spreading to other organs (metastasis). These processes involve tumour cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs), which rely on specific cell surface proteins for survival and function. We are developing antibodies against one of these type of proteins, to test in mouse models of CRC. These already show promise in targeting CSCs and inhibiting drug-resistance and metastasis in mice.
Mechanisms Of Glucocorticoid Resistance In Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,970.00
Summary
Glucocorticoids are extremely active drugs used in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), yet a proportion of patients respond poorly to therapy and exhibit resistance at relapse. Clinically relevant mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance are poorly understood, principally due to lack of appropriate experimental models. This project will reveal novel mechanisms of drug resistance in childhood leukaemia and lead to novel therapeutic strategies to improve outcome.
Changing your mind by changing your brain: An interventionist perspective on cognitive neuroscience. Functional neuroimaging provides a tremendous amount of information about the brain, but what it shows about the mind is less clear. Addressing this fundamental philosophical question requires developing a detailed account of theory-testing in cognitive neuroscience. This project aims to connect neuroimaging to theories of explanation that focus on the way one variable can make a difference to an ....Changing your mind by changing your brain: An interventionist perspective on cognitive neuroscience. Functional neuroimaging provides a tremendous amount of information about the brain, but what it shows about the mind is less clear. Addressing this fundamental philosophical question requires developing a detailed account of theory-testing in cognitive neuroscience. This project aims to connect neuroimaging to theories of explanation that focus on the way one variable can make a difference to another. By linking neuroimaging to facts about manipulable relationships between the brain and the mind, it will also provide a bridge between neuroimaging and complementary technologies for directly intervening on the brain. This, in turn, will provide a platform from which to explore the theoretical and ethical consequences of direct brain manipulation.Read moreRead less
New Polymers for Cellulose-based Bioplastics. We will design new cellulose derivatives by combining carefully engineered synthetic polymers to cellulose. We will explore the fundamental science underpinning the manufacture of these bioplastics, and apply the concept to the design of two new materials, with (super)hydrophobic and antibacterial properties. These materials have the potential to replace synthetic plastics, which comprise one of the major outputs of the chemical industry worldwide. P ....New Polymers for Cellulose-based Bioplastics. We will design new cellulose derivatives by combining carefully engineered synthetic polymers to cellulose. We will explore the fundamental science underpinning the manufacture of these bioplastics, and apply the concept to the design of two new materials, with (super)hydrophobic and antibacterial properties. These materials have the potential to replace synthetic plastics, which comprise one of the major outputs of the chemical industry worldwide. Plastic is present everywhere in human life, but its manufacture and disposal have a strong negative impact on the environment; the new materials manufactured in this project are viable alternatives to plastics, and are sustainable from a production and disposal point of view.Read moreRead less
The Empire of New Idealism?: Civilisation and Australian New Idealism, 1850-1950. Philosophies, like people and commodities, travel the globe. This project traces the movement of British 'New Idealist' philosophy to Australia in the mid-nineteenth century, its transformation into 'Australian New idealism', and return to Britain. It shows how the hopes of these first Australian philosophers for a global community overlapped with politicians and policy makers, and uncovers their shaping role in th ....The Empire of New Idealism?: Civilisation and Australian New Idealism, 1850-1950. Philosophies, like people and commodities, travel the globe. This project traces the movement of British 'New Idealist' philosophy to Australia in the mid-nineteenth century, its transformation into 'Australian New idealism', and return to Britain. It shows how the hopes of these first Australian philosophers for a global community overlapped with politicians and policy makers, and uncovers their shaping role in the formulation of many social policies that remain with us today. It places Australian history and research at the heart of a new global vision of New Idealist studies and offers scholars, policy makers and educators the necessary background to more fully articulate Australian understandings of citizenship and civilisation.Read moreRead less