Deciphering The Transcriptional Program That Instructs Lymphatic Endothelial Cell Fate.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$541,950.00
Summary
Lymphatic vessels are essential to maintain fluid balance in most tissues of the human body. Further the lymphatic vasculature plays a central role during cancer and contributes to tumour metastasis. Despite this integral function in health and disease little is known about the molecular programs that coordinate gene expression to build a functional vasculature. This research project will address this gap in our knowledge and will open up new therapeutic avenues for lymphatic vascular disorders
Dual Targeting Of The Androgen Receptor For Effective And Durable Control Of Lethal Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$946,177.00
Summary
Preventing binding of androgens to the androgen receptor is the mainstay treatment for advanced prostate cancer, but resistance inevitably develops and the disease becomes lethal. We will develop a new drug that targets a part of the androgen receptor unrelated to its androgen binding function to overcome resistance to current therapy. As this drug will be effective in all stages of prostate cancer, it has high potential to improve survival outcomes for men with prostate cancer.
Therapeutic Implications Of A Molecular Link Between Survivin And Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,970.00
Summary
A unifying feature of all types of cancer cells is that they are immortal. Our investigations will build upon our recent results that showed the gene survivin is involved in cancer cell immortalisation. We will characterise a molecular link between survivin and the enzyme telomerase, which is central to cancer cell immortality. Furthermore, we will demonstrate the therapeutic potential of turning off both survivin and telomerase as a novel approach to halting the growth of cancer cells.
Molecular Regulation Of Metabolism And Body Composition By Ski Via Crosstalk With Nuclear Hormone Receptor Signalling.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$558,441.00
Summary
Obesity is a common and burdensome health problem in the community which leads to diabetes and heart disease. A number of factors, including hormones play important roles in determing risk of obesity. This study proposes to investigate whether the Ski gene which is a regulatory factor for many hormones affects metabolism in transgenic mouse models of altered Ski function. The proposed studies may identify Ski as a target for therapy for obesity and improvement in sketal muscle metabolism.
Through this Australia Fellowship, Prof Keall and his tream will substantially improve the accuracy and effectiveness of radiation therapy for cancer by developing new techniques that will be able to ‘target’ a tumour in real-time and ‘concentrate fire’ on the most resistant and aggressive parts of it. Success in physiological targeting will create a paradigm shift in radiation therapy and could literally be a lifesaver. It’s a big challenge, but if this five-year research program succeeds, it w ....Through this Australia Fellowship, Prof Keall and his tream will substantially improve the accuracy and effectiveness of radiation therapy for cancer by developing new techniques that will be able to ‘target’ a tumour in real-time and ‘concentrate fire’ on the most resistant and aggressive parts of it. Success in physiological targeting will create a paradigm shift in radiation therapy and could literally be a lifesaver. It’s a big challenge, but if this five-year research program succeeds, it will pay big dividendsRead moreRead less
Benthic Processes and Oceanic Internal Waves. Direct observations will be made of the turbulent motion and sediment re-suspension near the sea bed of the ocean in regions strongly influenced by tides and internal waves. Combined with numerical models, the study will provide new insights into processes that are of fundamental importance to understanding the global dissipation of tidal energy and the role of internal waves in these processes. With observations from the continental slope region of ....Benthic Processes and Oceanic Internal Waves. Direct observations will be made of the turbulent motion and sediment re-suspension near the sea bed of the ocean in regions strongly influenced by tides and internal waves. Combined with numerical models, the study will provide new insights into processes that are of fundamental importance to understanding the global dissipation of tidal energy and the role of internal waves in these processes. With observations from the continental slope region of the Australian North West Shelf, results will also benefit the offshore engineering industry through knowledge of sediment scour and loadings on offshore structures.Read moreRead less
Endocrine And Molecular Regulation Of Placental CRH Expression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$466,980.00
Summary
Approximately 70% of infant death is associated with premature birth. Preterm birth occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in the rates of premature birth in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and abnormal birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotr ....Approximately 70% of infant death is associated with premature birth. Preterm birth occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in the rates of premature birth in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and abnormal birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotrophin releasing hormone, CRH) in the placenta and the length of time the baby is carried in the mother. In women who will deliver prematurely a rise in CRH occurs earlier in the pregnancy and more rapidly, while in women who deliver late the rise occurs more slowly. This work has given rise to the concept of a biological clock that determines the length of time the fetus will be carried by the mother before birth, and in which production of CRH in the placenta plays a central role. We have been studying how the CRH gene is controlled in placental cells. We have discovered some regions in the DNA of the CRH gene which have important roles in controlling how much CRH is made by the placenta. The experiments described in this research project will determine the molecular mechanisms that control the production of CRH in the human placenta. This will be done in two ways: (1) by examining the DNA sequences involved in controlling expression of the CRH gene and (2) by identifying the proteins that actually perform the regulating functions that result in either increased or decreased amounts of CRH being produced by the placenta. This important information will help us better understand how normal and abnormal birth is controlled, and from that knowledge new ways to detect and prevent premature birth can be invented.Read moreRead less
Structure and function of a new class of multi-zinc finger (MZF) transcriptional regulators. An understanding of how genes are switched on and off during the development and lifetime of an organism is central to developing the ability to fight many diseases in a rational way. This project will advance our knowledge in this area at a fundamental molecular level by examining the mechanisms through which a specific set of proteins controls gene expression.
Physiology of tau protein: a novel role in scaffolding and intracellular distribution. Understanding brain function remains a challenge. This project will study the normal role of the Alzheimer's disease-related protein tau in brain function during ageing. This will significantly enhance current understanding of brain function.