Determining The Impact Of Inherited Epigenetic Information On Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$511,691.00
Summary
Recent observations show that the environment in which you live can alter disease susceptibility in your children, without altering the sequence of your genes. This is due to epigenetic mechanisms which control the way the DNA is interpreted. In this study we will study the potential for epigenetic mechanisms to affect sperm production and impact characteristics and disease in the next generation.
Defining The Epigenetic Origins Of Maternally Inherited Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$731,162.00
Summary
Epigenetic (non genetic) changes to the DNA in sperm and eggs can alter outcomes in children. Despite the potential for drugs and diet to mediate some of these inherited effects, the processes involved are very poorly understood. By determining the mechanisms that regulate epigenetic inheritance, this project will improve our understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms acting in the parent, can mediate inherited disease and life-long health outcomes in our children.
Determining The Impacts Of Epigenetic Modifying Drugs On Germline Programming And Offspring Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$863,918.00
Summary
New drugs have been developed that inhibit specific enzymes that regulate epigenetic pathways in cells. These pathways significantly affect growth and development in offspring and may represent a risk to future children of patients taking the drug. This project will determine these risks and provide data for developing clinical guidelines for safe use of the drugs.
Blood Biomarkers For The Diagnosis Of Pre-clinical Alzheimer’s Disease Employing The Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,125,804.00
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and yet a postmortem examination serves as the only definitive diagnosis. The current proposal seeks to investigate alterations in biochemical profiles of individuals who will develop Alzheimer’s disease due to an inherited mutation, against family members who are non-carriers of the mutation, to identify AD related blood changes which can contribute towards the development of a diagnostic blood test for the disease.
Valvular heart disease is a common cause of heart failure. Identification of the genetic causes of valvular heart disease has important implications in our understanding of these heart diseases, as well as translating these genetic discoveries into better diagnostic and prevention strategies in at-risk families. This research proposal seeks to perform a comprehensive clinical and genetic investigation of individuals and families with the two most common valvular heart diseases, mitral valve prol ....Valvular heart disease is a common cause of heart failure. Identification of the genetic causes of valvular heart disease has important implications in our understanding of these heart diseases, as well as translating these genetic discoveries into better diagnostic and prevention strategies in at-risk families. This research proposal seeks to perform a comprehensive clinical and genetic investigation of individuals and families with the two most common valvular heart diseases, mitral valve prolapse and congenital bicuspid aortic valve.Read moreRead less
In the study of common disease, it is becoming apparent that it is not only an individual's DNA sequence that can encode susceptibility to disease, but also chemical modifications to that sequence. Despite the importance of these chemical modifications in the development of disease, there has been no comprehensive survey of the extent which they are transmitted across generations in humans. This proposal will investigate how one of those modifications, DNA methylation, is inherited.