Ex vivo production of neutrophils. Relentless infections frequently occur in patients receiving intensive chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy is toxic to the bone marrow where blood cells are produced. A low white blood cell count and in particular a low neutrophil count is linked with infection in these patients. Unlike red cells and platelets, neutrophils are difficult to collect from blood donors and hence are not routinely available. In this project, we will develop a practical, cost effic ....Ex vivo production of neutrophils. Relentless infections frequently occur in patients receiving intensive chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy is toxic to the bone marrow where blood cells are produced. A low white blood cell count and in particular a low neutrophil count is linked with infection in these patients. Unlike red cells and platelets, neutrophils are difficult to collect from blood donors and hence are not routinely available. In this project, we will develop a practical, cost efficient process for the production of neutrophils from cord blood. Transfusion of these neutrophils should reduce the chance of patients suffering serious infection, allow them to recover faster from their chemotherapy, and reduce the need for admission to intensive care.Read moreRead less
EX VIVO PRODUCTION OF MATURE RED BLOOD CELLS FOR TRANSFUSION. This project aims to establish a practical, cost efficient biotechnology platform for the expansion and maturation of blood stem cells to produce blood transfusion products. Red blood cell production will be used as the prototype model. It is envisaged that blood bioreactors will initially supplement and ultimately replace the current blood donor based process, thus overcoming the on-going donor recruitment, retention and safety issue ....EX VIVO PRODUCTION OF MATURE RED BLOOD CELLS FOR TRANSFUSION. This project aims to establish a practical, cost efficient biotechnology platform for the expansion and maturation of blood stem cells to produce blood transfusion products. Red blood cell production will be used as the prototype model. It is envisaged that blood bioreactors will initially supplement and ultimately replace the current blood donor based process, thus overcoming the on-going donor recruitment, retention and safety issues associated with collection of single units of blood. This project is focused on providing solutions to two key technical and economical challenges: (a) achieving full maturation of red blood cells and (b) achieving at least a 100-fold intensification of the expansion and maturation process through perfusion.Read moreRead less
Improved cryopreservation protocols for long term storage of platelets. The aim of this project is to characterise human blood platelet deterioration during cold storage and cryopreservation, and accelerate the development of improved long-term storage options. The project expects to generate important new knowledge about how platelets deteriorate during storage, and how such deterioration can be minimized. The expected outcomes are improved methods for long term platelet storage. This should be ....Improved cryopreservation protocols for long term storage of platelets. The aim of this project is to characterise human blood platelet deterioration during cold storage and cryopreservation, and accelerate the development of improved long-term storage options. The project expects to generate important new knowledge about how platelets deteriorate during storage, and how such deterioration can be minimized. The expected outcomes are improved methods for long term platelet storage. This should benefit blood donation services and hospitals by improving platelet delivery to remote locations, reducing wasted blood and the number of donations required, leading to significant financial savings.Read moreRead less
CARDIAC-ARIA : Measuring the accessibility to cardiovascular services in rural and remote Australia via applied geographical spatial technology (GIS). Despite significant improvements in the cardiovascular health of Australians, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) continues to impose a heavy burden on Australians in terms of cost,disability and death. Recent evidence suggests that mortality from CVD increases with increasing remoteness. Rates are reported to be between 20% and 50% higher in rural areas ....CARDIAC-ARIA : Measuring the accessibility to cardiovascular services in rural and remote Australia via applied geographical spatial technology (GIS). Despite significant improvements in the cardiovascular health of Australians, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) continues to impose a heavy burden on Australians in terms of cost,disability and death. Recent evidence suggests that mortality from CVD increases with increasing remoteness. Rates are reported to be between 20% and 50% higher in rural areas compared to major cities. This project, with its extensive use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, will rank 11,338 rural and remote population centres to identify geographical 'hotspots' where there is likely to be a mismatch between the demand for and actual provision of cardiovascular services.Read moreRead less
Biophysical identification of natural human antibody targets. A natural human antibody, PAT-SM6, isolated using technology developed by the partner organisation (Patrys), offers promise as a therapy to reduce mortalities due to cancer, the leading cause of death in Australia. The novelty of the approach pioneered by Patrys is the direct production of human antibodies which avoids undesirable side effects associated with the use of antibodies containing non-human components. This project is to ....Biophysical identification of natural human antibody targets. A natural human antibody, PAT-SM6, isolated using technology developed by the partner organisation (Patrys), offers promise as a therapy to reduce mortalities due to cancer, the leading cause of death in Australia. The novelty of the approach pioneered by Patrys is the direct production of human antibodies which avoids undesirable side effects associated with the use of antibodies containing non-human components. This project is to discover the specificity of PAT-SM6 for proteins and protein complexes and how these interactions lead to tumour cell death. This work will enhance the effectiveness of human antibody therapies and help in the development of this fast growing area within the biotechnology industry in Australia.Read moreRead less