Investigation Of A Novel Role For Factor XIII In Regulating The Adhesive Function Of Platelets
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$243,000.00
Summary
Platelets are small specialised blood cells that are extremely important for the normal formation of blood clots and for the repair of injured blood vessels. We are studying the processes that allow platelets to stick to the site of vessel injury and to each other to form stable blood clots. If this process proceeds unchecked, harmful blood clots can form which block blood vessels and cause heart attacks and strokes. There are many factors, both inside and outside platelets, which control how bi ....Platelets are small specialised blood cells that are extremely important for the normal formation of blood clots and for the repair of injured blood vessels. We are studying the processes that allow platelets to stick to the site of vessel injury and to each other to form stable blood clots. If this process proceeds unchecked, harmful blood clots can form which block blood vessels and cause heart attacks and strokes. There are many factors, both inside and outside platelets, which control how big and how fast a blood clot grows and whether it becomes harmful enough to cause a blood vessel blockage. One of these factors is the level of platelet 'stickiness' or 'reactivity'. We are working towards a better understanding of how platelet reactivity is regulated. Specifically, we believe we have identified a new factor which keeps blood clots at a size that is not harmful to cause blood vessel blockade. This information will not only increase our knowledge of blood clot formation in health and disease but also may help in the development of new therapies for the prevention of heart attack and stroke.Read moreRead less
Investigate The Role For Dok Adapter Proteins In Thrombosis And Haemostasis.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$161,737.00
Summary
Blood platelets play a key role in blood clot formation, prevention of bleeding and are the principal elements contributing to thrombosis leading to heart attack and stroke. Numerous studies have defined pathways promoting platelet activity, however less is known about their negative regulation. In this fellowship I will examine the role for proteins, Dok2 and Dok1, in the negative regulation of platelets, hoping this leads to development of novel therapeutics for prevention of cardiac disease.
Molecular Pharmacology Of Beta Adrenoreceptors In Multiple Disease States
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$578,812.00
Summary
Obesity is a major and increasing health concern for almost half the adult population, and is associated with serious medical conditions including diabetes and heart disease. Changes in behaviour such as increasing physical activity and eating less high-calorie food help many people reduce their body weight, however many others have a genetic predisposition to become overweight and behavioural measures are ineffective. Although anti-obesity drugs should be a valuable adjunct to lifestyle changes ....Obesity is a major and increasing health concern for almost half the adult population, and is associated with serious medical conditions including diabetes and heart disease. Changes in behaviour such as increasing physical activity and eating less high-calorie food help many people reduce their body weight, however many others have a genetic predisposition to become overweight and behavioural measures are ineffective. Although anti-obesity drugs should be a valuable adjunct to lifestyle changes, the currently available appetite suppressants are not ideal. Our work involves studying particular cell-surface proteins (receptors) which normally respond to hormones such as adrenaline. The beta(3)-adrenergic receptor is known to mediate the breakdown of fats and increased heat production in adipose tissue and possibly muscle. Administration of beta(3)-selective drugs to obese mice promotes weight loss and a reduction of diabetic symptoms, and a number of drugs targetting the human beta(3)-adrenergic receptor are being developed by pharmaceutical companies. We are trying to understand more about the properties of this receptor, as this information will assist in designing drugs which are more selective and more potent. Sometimes drugs act at more than one receptor, and there is evidence that this may be the case for two drugs called CGP 12177 and BRL 37344 which stimulate the beta(3)-adrenergic receptor. The second major aim of our project is to find out whether these drugs act at a novel receptor which is related to the beta(3)-adrenergic receptor and also mediates energy expenditure and heat production in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. The discovery of a new receptor would provide additional scope for the development of effective anti-obesity treatments.Read moreRead less
Muscarinic Receptor Signalling, Transglutaminase And Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$518,210.00
Summary
Diabetes is a major and increasing cuase of death and disability in our society. This studies aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechaisms controlling insulin secretion from the pancreas, since defects in this secretion are involved in causing diabetes. The proposed studies are of relevance to both juvenile and adult-onset diabetes, and may lead to new treatment modalities, as well as potentially being relevant to the use of pencreatic islet cell transplantation in the treatment of di ....Diabetes is a major and increasing cuase of death and disability in our society. This studies aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechaisms controlling insulin secretion from the pancreas, since defects in this secretion are involved in causing diabetes. The proposed studies are of relevance to both juvenile and adult-onset diabetes, and may lead to new treatment modalities, as well as potentially being relevant to the use of pencreatic islet cell transplantation in the treatment of diabetes.Read moreRead less