Novel Strategies For The Early Identification Provention And Treatment Of The Microvascular Complications Of Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,715,000.00
Summary
Despite recent advances, approximately one third of subjects with type 1 diabetes develop kidney disease and similar proportion develop vision-threatening eye disease. Indeed, in many instances eye and kidney disease occur in the same individual. The central aim of this proposed Special Program is the exploration of mechanisms that lead to the development and progression of these devastating complications of type 1 diabetes with a particular focus on novel strategies, directly applicable to man, ....Despite recent advances, approximately one third of subjects with type 1 diabetes develop kidney disease and similar proportion develop vision-threatening eye disease. Indeed, in many instances eye and kidney disease occur in the same individual. The central aim of this proposed Special Program is the exploration of mechanisms that lead to the development and progression of these devastating complications of type 1 diabetes with a particular focus on novel strategies, directly applicable to man, for their prevention and treatment. Participants in Special Program include both established diabetes researchers and investigators from other areas of academia (blood vessel biology and applied genetics). Strong interrelationships between the various investigators and their departments already exist and will be further consolidated with continued collaboration, sharing a combination of models, novel interventions and complex genetic techniques that would not be possible outside of a large collaborative framework. In addition to academic collaboration, interactions with industry-based drug discovery programs is also an important component in developing new treatment strategies for diabetic kidney and eye disease. The Special Program will thus consist of a range of studies of direct relevance to diabetic kidney and diabetic eye disease in humans. It is expected that these studies will lead to new strategies for the prevention, treatment and even the reversal of long term complications of diabetes.Read moreRead less
Use Of The Norfolk Island Genetic Isolate For Disease Gene Mapping
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$978,500.00
Summary
This gene mapping study will use a unique founder effect population to investigate two major public health disorders. We aim to identify genes that play a role in migraine and in cardiovascular disease, using a population from Norfolk Island. The Norfolk Island community is a population of ~1200 permanent residents, the majority of whom are direct descendents of 18th century English Bounty mutineers and Polynesian women. We will undertake a full genome scan to identify migraine gene loci and QTL ....This gene mapping study will use a unique founder effect population to investigate two major public health disorders. We aim to identify genes that play a role in migraine and in cardiovascular disease, using a population from Norfolk Island. The Norfolk Island community is a population of ~1200 permanent residents, the majority of whom are direct descendents of 18th century English Bounty mutineers and Polynesian women. We will undertake a full genome scan to identify migraine gene loci and QTL that influence cardiovascular disease using samples from this population isolate.Read moreRead less
Molecular Analysis Of Pathways In Diabetes (MAPDB) Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,348,000.00
Summary
The sequence of human genome provides a complete part-list of the genes and proteins that make our bodies. A most unknown subset of these parts work together in molecular pathways that underpin susceptibility and resistance to Type 1 diabetes and its complications. The MAPDB study will link patients, families, doctors, genome experts, immunologists, physiologists, statisticians and data base programmers together to illuminate these molecular pathways. In particular, the study will reveal genes a ....The sequence of human genome provides a complete part-list of the genes and proteins that make our bodies. A most unknown subset of these parts work together in molecular pathways that underpin susceptibility and resistance to Type 1 diabetes and its complications. The MAPDB study will link patients, families, doctors, genome experts, immunologists, physiologists, statisticians and data base programmers together to illuminate these molecular pathways. In particular, the study will reveal genes and pathways that medicate protection from diabetes and its complications - either by inhibiting T cell responses to pancreatic beta cells, protecting or regenerating beta cells in the face of metabolic or immunologic stress, or protecting eyes and kidneys from the damaging effects of high blood glucose. By identifying genes and proteins with these functions, the study will enable new treatments to be developed aimed at augmenting these protective pathways, to prevent diabetes starting in children at risk, and to preserve beta cell mass, protect transplanted stem cells or beta cells, and prevent eye and kidney damage in people already affected by Type 1 diabetes. Genes and proteins that are needed for T cell attack on beta cells will also be revealed. This information will enable new treatments to be developed that block these processes, to prevent diabetes from starting, to preserve beta cell mass and to prevent destruction of transplanted stem cells or beta cells. The MAPDB study will also identify different versions-alleles- of many of the genes in the pathways described above. Particular combinations of these gene alleles will be defines that can identify people at high risk of developing Type 1 diabetes, risk of cell or islet transplantation rejection, or at most risk for eye-kidney complications. Different gene combinations may be found that allow different kinds of Type 1 diabetes to distinguished. By creating ways to identify and distinguish people's individual risk, the study will yield diagnostic tests to enable new treatments and clinical trials to be targeted.Read moreRead less
Retroviral Expression Cloning Using An Arrayed Full Length CDNA Gene Set
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,841,500.00
Summary
The sequencing of the human genome has revealed the blueprint for life, but the identities and-or functions of the majority of genes remain unknown. Here we propose to establish a radically modified retroviral expression cloning system that will, in principle, allow identification of all genes that confer a particular dominant phenotype. To do this we will establish an arrayed retroviral library of sequence-verified genes covering the entire human transcriptome. This technology will be used to i ....The sequencing of the human genome has revealed the blueprint for life, but the identities and-or functions of the majority of genes remain unknown. Here we propose to establish a radically modified retroviral expression cloning system that will, in principle, allow identification of all genes that confer a particular dominant phenotype. To do this we will establish an arrayed retroviral library of sequence-verified genes covering the entire human transcriptome. This technology will be used to identify genes involved in a wide range of medically-important biological processes.Read moreRead less