Quantitiative Assessment Of Solar UV Exposure For Vitamin D Synthesis In Australian Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,162,536.00
Summary
This research program will add significantly to our current scientific understanding of the dual health outcomes of UV exposure (Vitamin D and skin cancer) . This project is in line with Australia's R and D Priorities, in that it will result in direct and indirect social and economic benefits to Australia by applying the scientific knowledge gained through this research to develop public health initiatives to improve some of Australia's most significant and costly health problems.
Improving Skin Cancer Prevention: Motivating Preventive Behaviours Using Knowledge Of Personalised Genomic Risk Of Melanoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,041,720.00
Summary
The aim of our study is to evaluate whether we can improve the Australian public’s skin cancer prevention behaviours, particularly reducing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, by giving personalised information about melanoma genetic risk. We will also explore the psycho-social, ethical, and economic implications of receiving this information. The results of our study are likely to influence the future of skin cancer prevention in Australia.
There is a need for a greater understanding of the complex relationship between sun exposure and the production of Vitamin D. This study will expand on the recently-completed AusD study to examine how personal, behavioural, and environmental factors impact on intra-individual seasonality in Vitamin D production. The study findings will guide the development of specific, evidence-based public health recommendation that balance the risks and benefits of sun exposure.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is extremely common in Australia, resulting in disfiguring surgeries and deaths. Although cumulative sun exposure is important, some people are very susceptible, and we do not know why. This project hinges on the notion that skin cancer is a complex (many genes involved). We will utilize novel systems to harness this complexity to understand why some people are resistant and others very susceptible so as to design appropriate control measures and treatments.
Tracking Epidermal Clonal Evolution During Skin Cancer Induction And Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$558,168.00
Summary
Skin cancer is the most frequent form of cancer in Australia and in many parts of the world. It is strongly connected to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In this project, we will use our capacity to track individual cells, to observe the heterogeneity of tumours and the lesions that precede them. We will show the importance of this heterogeneity in tumour progression unveiling the limits of current therapies against skin cancer.
Mitochondrially targeted anti-cancer drugs modulate the mitochondrial genome. Successful cancer management requires novel therapeutical approaches. This project will test the effect of a new class of compounds that target mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells, where they suppress expression of mitochondrial genes. By this mechanism, cancers that are resistant to apoptosis induction can be inhibited.
Identifying Resistance Mechanisms Of Targeted BRAF Inhibitors In Metastatic Melanoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$379,015.00
Summary
Late-stage melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer for which traditional treatment strategies such as chemotherapy are ineffective. Recently, a new class of targeted drugs (BRAF inhibitors) has become the standard of care for a subset of melanoma patients; however, long term treatment success is complicated by drug resistance. This study will identify the causes of resistance with the purpose to improve targeted drug strategies and increase survival rates for late-stage melanoma patients.
Physiologically-based Pharmacokinetics And Pharmacodynamics Of Therapeutic Stem Cells For Liver Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$848,710.00
Summary
This project focuses on the challenging area of effective and optimal dosing cell-based therapy for liver diseases. We will investigate the fate and therapeutic effects of natural, modified and artificial therapeutic cells in the body and in liver regions using a physiologically-based kinetic model. Our key goal is advance cell therapy by providing a better understanding and dosing guidelines.
Cellular genomic approach to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. This project compares the levels of gene usage in two important immune cell types between patients with multiple sclerosis and people who do not have the disease. It aims to identify the molecular basis for the disease, in order to identify new diagnostic, preventative and treatment options.
DsbA Foldases From Multidrug Resistant Pathogens As Targets For New Antimicrobials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,401.00
Summary
Bacteria that cause common human infections, such as cystitis and diarrhoea, are now resistant to many antibiotics. If no action is taken, by 2050 antibiotic resistant infections will kill more people each year than cancer. This project aims to address this global public health crisis by characterising promising new bacterial targets and inhibitors designed to disarm multidrug resistant pathogens. Longer term this work could provide new infection therapies that are urgently needed.