Therapeutic Targeting Of The Hedgehog Signaling Pathway In Premalignant Lesions Of The Breast.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$115,980.00
Summary
Breast screening has been successful in reducing deaths from breast cancer. Unfortunately it also detects increasing numbers of precancerous changes. Treatment of these changes is often aggressive, using surgery and radiotherapy. However we are unable to predict exactly which of the changes we need to treat. We aim to better understand the changes involved in this progression and try to block them using new drugs.
The Primary Cilium In Hedgehog Signalling And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$583,312.00
Summary
Every mammalian cell has a single protrusion called the primary cilium. Recent studies in mice and humans have highlighted the importance of the primary cilium in disease states affecting the limb, kidney, skeleton, brain, eyes, ears and lungs, as well as obesity and diabetes. We have isolated a novel mouse with a defect in the machinery required for correct functioning of the primary cilium. This mouse has widespread abnormalities and will be used to elucidate the role of cilia in disease.
Barrett's oesophagus (BO) is a condition that arises in some patients with chronic reflux (heartburn) and increases the risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus. However, the exact mechanisms involved in its development are unknown. This project aims to investigate how a protein called sonic hedgehog might be involved using novel cell culturing techniques that allow us to model the growth of oesophageal tissue in the laboratory. This could lead to development of new therapies for treating BO.