Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100111
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,000.00
Summary
Expanding the Genomic Frontier - from Species to Strains and Individuals to Populations. Expanding the genomic frontier from species to strains and individuals to populations: The Ramaciotti Centre for Gene Function Analysis, a consortium of five universities, provides a large number of genomics and transcriptomics analyses. This project will establish an Ion Proton semiconductor-based sequencer and iScan platform to facilitate research breakthroughs in genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, an ....Expanding the Genomic Frontier - from Species to Strains and Individuals to Populations. Expanding the genomic frontier from species to strains and individuals to populations: The Ramaciotti Centre for Gene Function Analysis, a consortium of five universities, provides a large number of genomics and transcriptomics analyses. This project will establish an Ion Proton semiconductor-based sequencer and iScan platform to facilitate research breakthroughs in genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and SNP analysis. Cell screening technology will also be established to allow the rapid analysis of cells of interest, prior to genomic / transcriptomic analysis. The increased data output, and concomitant reduction in analysis cost on the new platforms, will expand the genomics frontier, allowing researchers to fully analyse many strains from a single-celled species or many individuals from a population.Read moreRead less
Noncoding RNAs As Prognostic Markers And Therapeutic Targets In Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,283.00
Summary
Normal human development involves a symphony of genetic changes that control the growth and differentiation of different types of cells during embryogenesis. For many years it has been assumed that most genetic information is transacted by proteins, and that the remaining 98% of the human genome that does not encode proteins was (apart from a limited amount of associated regulatory elements) largely non-functional evolutionary junk. However, this may not be the case. Recent results from our labo ....Normal human development involves a symphony of genetic changes that control the growth and differentiation of different types of cells during embryogenesis. For many years it has been assumed that most genetic information is transacted by proteins, and that the remaining 98% of the human genome that does not encode proteins was (apart from a limited amount of associated regulatory elements) largely non-functional evolutionary junk. However, this may not be the case. Recent results from our laboratory and others have shown that most of our genome and that of other mammals is actually expressed as noncoding RNA, which appears to be developmentally regulated. These RNAs (of which there appear to be tens of thousands, well outnumbering the protein-coding mRNAs) have been referred to as the hidden layer or dark matter of our genome, as they have barely been studied, but appear to play a central role in both normal and abnormal development in humans. There is now increasing evidence that many noncoding RNAs, including small regulatory RNAs called microRNAs, are perturbed in cancer and that these perturbations may be directly involved in, and be an accurate indicator of, cancer state and the direction of cancer progression. If this is true we need to understand the expression and functions of these RNAs in order to develop better diagnostics and perhaps powerful new therapeutics for cancer, based on RNA technology and generic delivery systems. This project will explore the patterns of noncoding RNA expression in normal breast development and in breast cancer, to identify those RNAs that direct or accompany the differentiation of these tissues, and to test the effects of interfering with their expression on these processes. These foundation studies lie at the leading edge of a new understanding of human genetics and cancer, and will provide a platform for future applications in medicine that utilize this information and understanding.Read moreRead less
Drugging the undruggable: Development of novel technologies to selectively regulate the expression of targets driving cancer and other diseases. Transcription factors are “undruggable” targets playing a principal role driving cancer. This project will create novel therapeutic strategies to inhibit transcription factors and other elusive targets differentially expressed in diseased cells, without affecting normal tissue. It proposes to construct engineered proteins able to bind and modify specifi ....Drugging the undruggable: Development of novel technologies to selectively regulate the expression of targets driving cancer and other diseases. Transcription factors are “undruggable” targets playing a principal role driving cancer. This project will create novel therapeutic strategies to inhibit transcription factors and other elusive targets differentially expressed in diseased cells, without affecting normal tissue. It proposes to construct engineered proteins able to bind and modify specific key genes deregulated in cancer, to correct their expression and stably reprogram the phenotype of the tumour cell in a normal-like state. It outlines the engineering of novel synthetic agents to block specific protein-protein interactions in cancer cells and to induce potent tumour cell death. This work will generate novel and selective therapeutics to treat un-curable forms of tumours.Read moreRead less
Drinking from the fire hose - Making sense of high density genetic and genomic data. The project will improve our understanding of the genetic component of common complex diseases such as cancer. Identification of genetic variants underlying disease risk is currently one of the primary means for increasing our understanding of the biochemical and developmental pathways involved. Genetic studies rely on sophisticated statistical and computational (bioinformatics) techniques. This project centres ....Drinking from the fire hose - Making sense of high density genetic and genomic data. The project will improve our understanding of the genetic component of common complex diseases such as cancer. Identification of genetic variants underlying disease risk is currently one of the primary means for increasing our understanding of the biochemical and developmental pathways involved. Genetic studies rely on sophisticated statistical and computational (bioinformatics) techniques. This project centres on the development, refinement and application of novel statistical analysis methods in genetics. Future advances in statistical and computational methods are essential if we are to exploit the large volumes of genome data now being generated to help develop diagnostics and interventions to improve public health.Read moreRead less
Detection Of Alternative Lengthening Of Telomeres In The Mouse
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$471,000.00
Summary
In each cell, DNA is packaged into units called chromosomes, the ends of which (i.e., telomeres) become slightly shorter every time they are replicated during the production of new cells. Continued cell replication and hence continued telomere shortening eventually results in the inability of cells to replicate themselves any further. Normal cells have mechanisms to slow down, but not completely prevent telomere shortening. The development of a cancer depends on its cells being able to replicate ....In each cell, DNA is packaged into units called chromosomes, the ends of which (i.e., telomeres) become slightly shorter every time they are replicated during the production of new cells. Continued cell replication and hence continued telomere shortening eventually results in the inability of cells to replicate themselves any further. Normal cells have mechanisms to slow down, but not completely prevent telomere shortening. The development of a cancer depends on its cells being able to replicate themselves many times, and therefore they need to find a method to prevent their telomeres shortening. We discovered one such method, called Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT), that is used by some cancers. It has been shown in principle that cancer cells can be killed by disrupting their ability to prevent telomere shortening. Therefore, in another project we are developing methods needed to find drugs that inhibit ALT. In the meantime, we have found the first evidence that some normal cells have an ALT-like mechanism. Our speculation is that cancer cells are able to dysregulate and subvert this normal mechanism in order to prevent their telomeres from shortening. In this project, we will analyse the ALT-like mechanism in mice, to determine its characteristics, and to determine what tissues use it. This information will provide critically important insights into the ALT mechanism itself, and the likely side effects of drugs that inhibit ALT.Read moreRead less
Genetic Models Of Cancer Development And Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,250.00
Summary
We are taking advantage of the powerful genetic tools in fruit flies to study the genetics of cancer. 72% of cancer genes are conserved between humans and fruit flies, making it a particularly suitable system. This project has two main aims: 1- to build tumours in fruit flies in an effort to understand better the individual genetic lesions that contribute to cancer It takes on average 4-7 mutations for a tumour to develop. While many genes associated with cancer have been identified, there are m ....We are taking advantage of the powerful genetic tools in fruit flies to study the genetics of cancer. 72% of cancer genes are conserved between humans and fruit flies, making it a particularly suitable system. This project has two main aims: 1- to build tumours in fruit flies in an effort to understand better the individual genetic lesions that contribute to cancer It takes on average 4-7 mutations for a tumour to develop. While many genes associated with cancer have been identified, there are many more that have not. What is more, it is still not clear precisely what mutations are responsible for a given tumour as tumours contain many genetic lesions most of which are incidental. We have a collection of fruit flies strains that represent various stages of the progress toward cancer development, and we intend to test different genetic combinations of these to determine which combinations result in cancer. 2- to identify a class of genes we have called 'oncogene suppressor genes' which may have the ability to prevent tumours from forming. Recently, it has been discovered that oncogenes may be required for both the INITIATION of tumours and the MAINTENANCE of tumours. This means that suppressing oncogene function may not only prevent tumour formation, but also tumour maintenance - in other words, it may make tumours go away. Thus, oncogene suppressor genes may represent exciting therapeutic targets for the treatment and possibly also prevention of cancer. At this time it is not clear whether oncogenes are generally required for tumour maintenance, or whether this is a property of only one or a few oncogenes. As these experiments are difficult and expensive to conduct in mammalian systems, we have devised simple, rapid tests in fruit flies instead. We plan to use these tests to investigate the effect of 'oncogene suppressor genes' on tumour initiation and maintenance in fruit flies. Ultimately, we believe these genes may represent therapeutic targets.Read moreRead less
Genetic analysis of lymphatic vascular development. This project investigates the fundamental molecular components that regulate lymphatic vascular system development in the zebrafish embryo. Lymphatic vessels play critical roles in vascular diseases and cancer metastasis. This study will identify and examine key new molecules that will further our basic understanding of lymphatic development.
The molecular control of lymphatic vascular differentiation. This project aims to improve our understanding of how a new vascular system forms and the molecules that control this process. Lymphatic vasculature plays roles in fluid drainage, inflammation, obesity, metastasis and tissue repair, yet we cannot readily promote or inhibit lymphatic vessel formation. This project aims to build new knowledge that is expected to improve our ability to generate lymphatic vessels for stem cell application ....The molecular control of lymphatic vascular differentiation. This project aims to improve our understanding of how a new vascular system forms and the molecules that control this process. Lymphatic vasculature plays roles in fluid drainage, inflammation, obesity, metastasis and tissue repair, yet we cannot readily promote or inhibit lymphatic vessel formation. This project aims to build new knowledge that is expected to improve our ability to generate lymphatic vessels for stem cell applications, tissue engineering, tissue repair and regeneration. This project will use zebrafish embryos, new genomic datasets and novel tools to uncover the genetic control of this process, and should have implications in stem cell biology, tissue engineering, repair and regeneration.Read moreRead less
Identifying Target Genes For Novel Anti-epileptic Therapies In The Mouse
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,802.00
Summary
Epilepsy is a disease which affects 2-4% of the population. There are a wide range of drugs available to treat the condition but there is consistently 30-40% of patients who do not respond well to any of these drugs and who continue to have seizures. The reason that there are no drugs available for these people is that most of the drugs available have been designed along the same principles. A new set of principles is needed to develop new drugs which will be able to treat those people not respo ....Epilepsy is a disease which affects 2-4% of the population. There are a wide range of drugs available to treat the condition but there is consistently 30-40% of patients who do not respond well to any of these drugs and who continue to have seizures. The reason that there are no drugs available for these people is that most of the drugs available have been designed along the same principles. A new set of principles is needed to develop new drugs which will be able to treat those people not responding to current therapy. This project is designed to identify new biologic pathways which may be interrupted with drugs to prevent seizures in people with epilepsy. This project uses a procedure to induce mutations into genes in mice and then screens for mice which do not seize when challenged with a drug which generates seizures in mice. Genetic studies will identify the mutated genes and these will be used as potential targets for new therapies or will identify new biological pathway which should expand the use of future anti-epileptic drugs.Read moreRead less