Understanding And Applying Macrophage-mediated Effects On Liver Progenitor Cells To Treat Liver Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$628,109.00
Summary
As liver cancer risk correlates with increased liver stem/progenitor cell numbers, therapies that reduce their numbers will reduce cancer development. On the contrary, therapies to increase progenitor cell numbers will assist their use in cell therapy-based approaches or artificial liver devices to treat chronic liver disease. This project will determine how to use inflammatory cells to manipulate progenitor cell numbers.
THE ROLE OF THE HEPATOCYTE HEDGEHOG PATHWAY IN PROGRESSIVE LIVER INJURY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,876.00
Summary
This research plan investigates the role of a pathway, known as the Hedgehog pathway, in the development of liver disease which can result in end-stage scarring known as cirrhosis and even lead to liver cancer (known as Hepatocellular carcinoma). Hepatocellular carcinoma is the globally the third most common cause of cancer death and our research will help to better understand how liver injury develops and how this then leads to liver cancer.
Reversal Of Diabetes In A Humanised Mouse Using A Clinically Applicable Vector System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$842,173.00
Summary
Somatic gene therapy is one of the strategies that is being considered to cure Type I diabetes. Specifically, we wish to engineer liver cells to replace beta cell function. The aim of this project is to design a clinically-applicable protocol for the reversal of diabetes using a recombinant adeno-associated vector that delivers genes to human livers with high efficiency showing long term expression without pathogenicity and immunogenicity following a simple intra-peritoneal injection.