Using Gene Delivery Technologies To Define Novel Mechanisms Of Skeletal Muscle Adaptation, And Develop Muscle-directed Interventions For Frailty And Serious Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$631,370.00
Summary
The focus of my research is to investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying regulation of skeletal muscle size and function in health and disease. By defining these processes we can establish the events contributing to muscle wasting and frailty commonly associated with serious illness and advancing age, and develop interventions to prevent/overcome this important contributor to poor health prospects and reduced survival.
Utilization Of Gene-engineered T Cells For Enhancing Cancer Immunotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$761,656.00
Summary
Killer T lymphocytes can penetrate tumours and their transfer into cancer patients has demonstrated some encouraging results, but this form of therapy and other approaches including vaccination remain ineffective in most cancer patients. In this project, we propose to improve the tumour trafficking and anti-tumour activities of killer cells by genetically engineering them with proteins that will enable them to recognise and destroy cancer cells, whilst minimizing toxicity to normal tissue.
New Strategies For Enhancing Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy For Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$849,540.00
Summary
The role of the immune system in cancer is now recognised as highly important, highlighted by the success of immunotherapy in patients. Yet many patients fail to respond to this form of treatment due to low frequency of lymphocytes present at the tumor site. A new form of immunotherapy involving transfer of gene-modified lymphocytes is a potential way to overcome this problem. This project will explore new strategies to enhance the utility of this approach against blood and solid cancers.
The goal of this research is to improve outcomes for people at risk of becoming blind or visually impaired. The focus is on those who require a corneal transplant, or who suffer from inflammatory eye disease or painful disease of the ocular surface, on neonates with retinopathy of prematurity, or those with the eye disease, keratoconus. We will investigate new treatment options for eye diseases and will examine the evidence for the success of surgical and other therapeutic interventions.
Integrated Basic And Clinical Cardiovascular Research For The Development Of Innovative Approaches To The Treatment Of Heart Failure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$925,346.00
Summary
Heart failure (HF) is a common cardiovascular problem which causes disabling symptoms and reduces life expectancy. HF is the commonest cause or contributor to hospitalization in people over 65 years. For patients with advanced HF, survival is worse than that for aggresive cancers. At present, for patients with advanced HF and its complications, there are very few treatment options. Over the next 5 years I will conduct a comprehensive series of studies in animal models and in patients to develop ....Heart failure (HF) is a common cardiovascular problem which causes disabling symptoms and reduces life expectancy. HF is the commonest cause or contributor to hospitalization in people over 65 years. For patients with advanced HF, survival is worse than that for aggresive cancers. At present, for patients with advanced HF and its complications, there are very few treatment options. Over the next 5 years I will conduct a comprehensive series of studies in animal models and in patients to develop new treatment options.Read moreRead less
Pathogenic Flaviviruses: Molecular Mechanisms Of Disease, Host Response And Vaccines
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$697,209.00
Summary
The application is aimed at advancing our understanding of the viral and host processes determining outcome of infection with pathogenic flaviviruses (i.e. West Nile virus) to the level allowing most comprehensive design of effective vaccines and anti-viral drugs. One of the aims is also to develop novel viral delivery vectors for cancer therapy based on self-replicating RNA of an attenuated Australian strain of West Nile virus, Kunjin.
Improving Outcomes For Individuals And Families Affected By Genetic Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$838,845.00
Summary
I aim to reduce illness and death caused by inherited diseases, particularly in unborn children, newborns and infants. I will do this by finding causes of inherited diseases we don’t yet know, investigating treatments for inherited diseases and developing better methods of diagnosing inherited diseases. I will also investigate methods of finding carriers of recessive diseases before they have affected children, so that they can avoid having children affected with severe diseases.
Personalised Medical Nutrition Therapy To Improve Diet Related Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,975.00
Summary
Poor eating habits are common across all lifestages and increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes and the cost of health care. This novel research will use technology to connect people to online assessment of their dietary intake with a personally tailored nutrition report provided in realtime. Healthcare professional will use these to help people improve their eating and health. This will create new knowledge on the impact of better nutrition on health outcomes and the cost of health care.
My goal is to boost the immune system against cancer to develop new therapies. I aim to do this by genetically engineering the immune system and using drugs to help strengthen white blood cells of the immune system. Tumors can actively fight immunity by producing suppressive molecules. I am seeking to identify and understand these molecules in order to block them and help the immune system fight cancer. Using this knowledge, I aim to start new clinical trials for cancer.
Nigel G Laing, NH&MRC Principal Research Fellowship: Neurogenetics – Gene Discovery, Pathobiology, Novel Therapeutics, Novel Diagnostics And Translation.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$880,454.00
Summary
My Fellowship will expand my work identifying diseases genes for genetic muscle and nerve diseases by using new technologies that allow discovery of human disease genes which could not be found before. In addition, since we now have proof from mouse studies that heart actin is a target for therapy for the group of diseases that we discovered caused by mutations in the muscle actin protein, we shall take further steps towards making this therapy a reality for patients.