Development Of A Novel Bioengineered Tissue Construct For Repairing The Eye.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,817.00
Summary
Corneal diseases are often treated using donor tissue transplants. Nevertheless, donor tissue is unsuitable for treating the peripheral or limbal margin of the cornea. We have therefore developed a way to transplant sheets of limbal tissue (epithelium) grown in the laboratory from a patient's own cells, but this tissue lacks a foundation of connective tissue that we believe is essential for sustained healing. Thus, our aim is to develop a novel limbal transplant which contains both layers.
Strabismus is the pathological misalignment of the eyes associated with loss of binocular vision and is one of the most common human ophthalmological disorders. Patients with comitant strabismus have full eye movements, whereas patients with incomitant strabismus have limited eye movements, which causes the angle of strabismus to vary with gaze direction. This project aims to define genetic contributors to comitant congenital strabismus.
Translating Genetic Determinants Of Glaucoma Into Better Diagnosis And Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$9,466,000.00
Summary
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. By 2020, it will affect 80 million people, and in Australia over the next decade, the overall cost of glaucoma will reach $4.3 billion per annum. This Program will use genetic advances to personalise treatment. Blindness will be prevented in individuals at highest risk, new ways to treat patients will be developed, and better outcomes for patients will result from less treatment and monitoring of low risk cases.
Most eye diseases have a genetic contribution, whether rare disorders affecting children such as retinoblastoma or congenital cataracts through to common disorders of older people such as myopia, age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. We will continue our successful research to find genes that cause these diseases and use this to improve patient care and prevent blindness. We will work out how families can use this genetic information to participate in trials to develop new treatments.
Young Adult Myopia: Genetic And Environmental Associations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$809,271.00
Summary
Myopia affects 80% of school leavers in the cities of East Asia, 45% of Asian Australian school leavers and is probably on the rise in European Australian adolescents. Increased levels of education and lack of time outdoors are known to increase the risk of myopia. We will examine 2,000 young adults to find the genes that interact with these risk factors. In addition to confirming when these risk factors are most important, identifying molecular pathways opens the avenue of new treatments.
Role Of IGF Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) And IGFBP-5 As Modulators Of Nuclear Hormone Signalling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$465,750.00
Summary
The insulin-like growth factors are small proteins involved in the growth of most tissues. Their actions are regulated by binding to larger proteins (known as IGFBPs) in the bloodstream and outside the cell. However, some IGFBPs are also found inside cells, where they seem to carry out other functions. We believe that two of these binding proteins, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5, change the way cells respond to vitamin A and vitamin D. These two vitamins are important in cell growth and in the way certain ....The insulin-like growth factors are small proteins involved in the growth of most tissues. Their actions are regulated by binding to larger proteins (known as IGFBPs) in the bloodstream and outside the cell. However, some IGFBPs are also found inside cells, where they seem to carry out other functions. We believe that two of these binding proteins, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5, change the way cells respond to vitamin A and vitamin D. These two vitamins are important in cell growth and in the way certain cells perform specialised functions. In test-tube experiments, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 interact directly with the receptors that regulate the effects of these hormones. If the same thing happens inside the cell, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 could change the way these receptors respond to signals from outside the cell. We will investigate what effect these IGFBPs have in living cells and in whole animals and how this may relate to human disease. If we are able to understand how IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 affect the way cells respond to vitamin A and D, then we may be able to develop new ways to treat certain human diseases.Read moreRead less
Enhancing aquaculture production of the tropical abalone using complementary genetic and environmental approaches. While temperate abalone are one of our most valuable seafoods, there is a growing demand worldwide for the ?cocktail?-sized tropical abalone Haliotis asinina. Australia is well positioned to capture the market for this rapidly growing species. We propose to enhance the already favourable growth rates of Haliotis asinina in aquaculture by delineating critical environmental and geneti ....Enhancing aquaculture production of the tropical abalone using complementary genetic and environmental approaches. While temperate abalone are one of our most valuable seafoods, there is a growing demand worldwide for the ?cocktail?-sized tropical abalone Haliotis asinina. Australia is well positioned to capture the market for this rapidly growing species. We propose to enhance the already favourable growth rates of Haliotis asinina in aquaculture by delineating critical environmental and genetic factors that effect production. This proposal uniquely melds commercial production practices at MG Kailis Export Pty Ltd with expertise in aquaculture and marine biotechnology present at The University of Queensland and CSIRO Marine Research. This knowledge will enhance the development of this new aquaculture industry in tropical Australia.Read moreRead less