Identification And Characterisation Of Phosphorylation Events Taking Place During Human Sperm Capacitation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,400.00
Summary
Male infertility affects one in every twenty Australian males and one third of all infertile couples worldwide. The most common cause of human infertility is not a failure to produce sperm, but a failure of these cells to express a normal capacity for fertilization. The cause of this loss of functional competence is unclear. We are going to use our technical expertise in proteomics to characterize the molecular pathways responsible for the defective sperm function seen in infertile patients.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women, affecting one in 8. While physical examination, mammography and ultrasound remain first-line screening tools, there are no reliable blood tests to aid diagnosis. This project aims to discover proteins in breast cancer tissue, or in the bloodstream of patients, which can be measured to provide information about the presence and severity of breast cancer. A new, reliable diagnostic test could benefit millions of women.
TNF Traffic And Secretion In Astrocytes And Microglial Cells: Unveilling New Targets For Ischemic Stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$585,070.00
Summary
Neurodegenerative disorders share a similar pathway to disastrous neurotoxicity, which occurs through the release of cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-a (TNF) from glial cells. TNF controls inflammation but its excessive secretion in the brain is highly detrimental. The mechanism of TNF secretion is unknown but strategies aimed at reducing it have therapeutic potential. This grant proposes to study TNF discharge to find new ways to reduce secretion and confer protection in a stroke model.
Elucidation Of The Transcriptional Control Of CNS Myelination And Remyelination
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,764.00
Summary
Oligodendrocytes are the cell type in the central nervous system that produce myelin, the insulating layer around nerve cells. Loss of oligodendrocytes and myelin are key features of multiple sclerosis. This project aims to characterize how a recently identified gene (Myelin Gene Regulatory Factor) functions to promote myelination and to assess the role of the gene in myelin maintenance and repair in the adult central nervous system.
Immune Tolerance In Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Following Transplant Of Bone Marrow Cells Genetically Encoding Autoantigen
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$339,143.00
Summary
Autoimmune diseases affect 5-6% of the population and include diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Our studies focus on examining a gene therapy approach together with bone marrow transplantation to treating autoimmune diseases. Using a model for multiple sclerosis we are finding promising results
Evaluation Of Specificity, Mechanism Of Action And Therapeutic Use Of Peptides That Disrupt T-cell Antigen Receptor
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$166,885.00
Summary
Molecular disorganisation of receptor assembly renders the receptor incompetent and the cell unable to perform its normal function. In autoimmune diseases where the target is self the ability to stop autoreactive T cells is a therapy. Synthetic compounds known as peptides have been developed in our laboratory with the ability to disrupt cell function and we are at the forefront of such research. We hypothesise that if you prevent the receptor from assembling properly then it will not function. T ....Molecular disorganisation of receptor assembly renders the receptor incompetent and the cell unable to perform its normal function. In autoimmune diseases where the target is self the ability to stop autoreactive T cells is a therapy. Synthetic compounds known as peptides have been developed in our laboratory with the ability to disrupt cell function and we are at the forefront of such research. We hypothesise that if you prevent the receptor from assembling properly then it will not function. The end result is the potential to develop novel drugs with new means to treat inflammation in a number of autoimmune disorders including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. Application of this concept is not restricted to immunology or the disruption of the T-cell antigen receptor but has wider therapeutic application to other multicomponent receptors relevant in the field of oncology, endocrinology, and allergy. By design one can produce peptides that will specifically inhibit specific cellular functions based on structure-function relationships. Further research into this area will then allow design of new non-peptide chemical entities based on the original peptide sequence and structure with easier pharmacological handling properties and efficacy. This project aims to define necessary features of the peptide and test it in humans.Read moreRead less
Detection Of Susceptibility Genes For Multiple Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,073.00
Summary
Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common chronic diseases of the nervous system. It usually starts in young adulthood and continues with episodes of severe disability from which partial recovery leads in many patients to difficulties with walking, balance, speech, bladder control and other neurologic functions. The disease inflicts a severe burden on both patients and the community. There is currently no preventive treatment and therapy is expensive (interferon at $20,000 p.a.) and of limite ....Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common chronic diseases of the nervous system. It usually starts in young adulthood and continues with episodes of severe disability from which partial recovery leads in many patients to difficulties with walking, balance, speech, bladder control and other neurologic functions. The disease inflicts a severe burden on both patients and the community. There is currently no preventive treatment and therapy is expensive (interferon at $20,000 p.a.) and of limited benefit in stopping further damage and of no benefit in reversing existing damage. New treatments will come through a full understanding of how the immune system attacks the brain to cause MS. There is a strong inherited component in MS and the discovery of the genes responsible should speed up the quest to understand the cause of the disease. The proposed studies involve international collaboration co-ordinated from Cambridge University, UK, in which the entire human genome will be screened looking for the MS genes using world s best available technology. Funding of this grant will allow Australia an equal seat at the table for this collaboration involving 17 countries. No individual country can recruit enough patients and hence this international effort is essential. It is expected that the understanding of the cause of MS will lead to new treatments that are effective and with low side effects.Read moreRead less