Web-based Multimedia Information Management System For Use In Remote Diagnosis Of Eye Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$196,000.00
Summary
Our aim is to develop a web-based multimedia information management system for use in remote diagnosis of eye diseases. The proposed system will provide medical advice and diagnosis, information and distance education for those working in health care as well as the community, computer-aided diagnosis and assistance in the operational and medical decision-making process. Less expensive health care personnel should be able to use the system with little training in remote and rural areas. Significa ....Our aim is to develop a web-based multimedia information management system for use in remote diagnosis of eye diseases. The proposed system will provide medical advice and diagnosis, information and distance education for those working in health care as well as the community, computer-aided diagnosis and assistance in the operational and medical decision-making process. Less expensive health care personnel should be able to use the system with little training in remote and rural areas. Significantly, the project should empower remote general doctors and nurses by proper access to expert advice, save many remote patients from unnecessary visits to specialist centres on the one hand and allow more proper diagnosis and intervention on the other. It has the potential for significant reductions in the cost of health care delivery, should strengthening the bond between medical services in remote and city areas, provide training and education of local GPs, nurses, health care workers and optometrists and provide web-based disease management systems will provide instant access to health care information. The outcomes of this project are potentially of great significance to remote and rural communities in Australia and around the world. There will be an enormous impact on current health care practices. Significantly, the project should empower remote general doctors and nurses by proper access to expert advice, save many remote patients from unnecessary visits to specialist centres on the one hand and allow more proper diagnosis and intervention on the other. It has the potential for significant reductions in the cost of health care delivery, should strengthening the bond between medical services in remote and city areas, provide training and education of local GPs, nurses, health care workers and optometrists and provide web-based disease management systems will provide instant access to health care information. The outcomes of this project are potentially of great significance to remote and rural communities in Australia and around the world. There will be an enormous impact on current health care practices.Read moreRead less
Development Of Small Molecule IRAP Inhibitors For Treating Memory Deficits
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,898.00
Summary
We have identified a series of small molecule compounds based on their ability to inhibit the catalytic activity of a protein, IRAP using a computer model of IRAP to screen chemical libraries. This research proposal aims to investigate the properties of these compounds and their ability to treat Alzheimer's dementia. At the conclusion of this project, we will have 2 families of lead compounds suitable for development into a new class of therapeutic agents for treating Alzheimer's disease.
Development Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Of IRAP - Potential Use For The Treatment Of Memory Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$195,450.00
Summary
This research project provides proof of concept that IRAP is a suitable target for use in the development of a new class of clinically valuable cognitive-enhancing agents. We have recently Identified a family of small molecule compounds that inhibited the catalytic activity of the enzyme using a molecule model of IRAP to screen virtual libraries. This research proposal aims to validate that this family of compounds have memory-enhancing properties by acting specifically on IRAP. At the conclusio ....This research project provides proof of concept that IRAP is a suitable target for use in the development of a new class of clinically valuable cognitive-enhancing agents. We have recently Identified a family of small molecule compounds that inhibited the catalytic activity of the enzyme using a molecule model of IRAP to screen virtual libraries. This research proposal aims to validate that this family of compounds have memory-enhancing properties by acting specifically on IRAP. At the conclusion of this project, we will have elucidated important information on the specificity of the memory effects and the structure activity relationship of this family of compounds. We will have identified and characterised a lead compound for development into a new class of cognitive enhancers.Read moreRead less
The DietAdvice Website A New Innovation For Dietitians In Clinical Practice.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$140,975.00
Summary
Due to the growing incidence of obesity within Australia, use of computer technology may be a method of targeting these people by increasing access to dietary services. Currently available dietary software in the Australian context only allows analysis of nutrient information. Thus when a dietitian sees a patient they must manually translate food intake to nutrient information, a largely time consuming exercise. DietAdvice is a website that was developed for people to enter in their own food int ....Due to the growing incidence of obesity within Australia, use of computer technology may be a method of targeting these people by increasing access to dietary services. Currently available dietary software in the Australian context only allows analysis of nutrient information. Thus when a dietitian sees a patient they must manually translate food intake to nutrient information, a largely time consuming exercise. DietAdvice is a website that was developed for people to enter in their own food intakes. The food information is sent to a dietitian who develops individualised dietary advice for them. A pilot study of the website has already found it to be feasible in the primary healthcare setting. Tested for 12 months the website was used by 224 patients from GP practices in the Illawarra region of NSW. Approximately 73% of patients were overweight and patients with a high BMI were 1.88 times more likely to use the website in the comfort of their home. Further research about the website however was needed. The research to follow on from the pilot study will aim to refine the DietAdvice website, leading towards its commercialisation for dietitians in clinical practice. The research will be broken into 3 phases. Phase 1 will involve a usability test of the website, assessing the underlying algorithms and testing it with dietitians in private practice. Phase 2 will see volunteers using the website on multiple occasions after being given pre-weighed amounts of food to eat. This will determine how reliable and accurate the information is; and phase 3 will evaluate whether the website is cost effective and if it increases accessibility of health services especially in rural areas. By confirming these attributes there will be a sound basis to commercialise the product.Read moreRead less
We will conduct a clinical trial of the effectiveness of a continuous auditory display of an anesthetized patient's respiratory status. Expired carbon dioxide monitoring has helped reduce respiratory incidents since its widespread introduction in the late 1980s, but a continuous auditory display of respiratory status may reduce incidents further. We will conduct a clinical trial with 10 anaesthetists of continuous auditory respiratory monitoring. Successful outcome may lead to commercial uptake.
Chronic infections and cancers are major causes of global disease burden. Harnessing the immune system to combat these diseases has proven difficult and cumbersome to date. We invented a new technology to boost the ability of the immune system to fight chronic infections such as AIDS and Hepatitis C. This involves using someone�s own blood treated with sets of short proteins. We term this therapy Overlapping Peptide Pulsed Autologous CelLs (OPAL). This shows great promise in robust animal models ....Chronic infections and cancers are major causes of global disease burden. Harnessing the immune system to combat these diseases has proven difficult and cumbersome to date. We invented a new technology to boost the ability of the immune system to fight chronic infections such as AIDS and Hepatitis C. This involves using someone�s own blood treated with sets of short proteins. We term this therapy Overlapping Peptide Pulsed Autologous CelLs (OPAL). This shows great promise in robust animal models. We now propose to refine this technique in animals in preparation for human clinical trials.Read moreRead less
Application Of Follistatin To The Resolution Of Liver Fibrosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$330,990.00
Summary
Liver fibrosis or scarring is a consequence of a number of diseases, leading eventually to extensive damage known as cirrhosis. It is a significant health problem both here in Australia and overseas with around 180,000 patients diagnosed each year in the Western world. Cirrhosis arises from many causes, two major groups being patients who contract hepatitis and alcoholics. People with cirrhosis have a much increased risk of liver failure, which requires liver transplantation, or of developing li ....Liver fibrosis or scarring is a consequence of a number of diseases, leading eventually to extensive damage known as cirrhosis. It is a significant health problem both here in Australia and overseas with around 180,000 patients diagnosed each year in the Western world. Cirrhosis arises from many causes, two major groups being patients who contract hepatitis and alcoholics. People with cirrhosis have a much increased risk of liver failure, which requires liver transplantation, or of developing liver cancer, for which current treatments have limited success. We have been studying two proteins, activin and follistatin, both of which are made in the liver. We are interested in activin because it is one of the body's mechanisms to control cell growth, and also seems to stimulate the development of scar tissue. Follistatin is the natural inhibitory substance for activin. It blocks the effects of activin and helps promote cell growth in the liver. We believe that follistatin may also be useful in controlling liver scarring. This process will be studied in animal models of cirrhosis, in the hope that follistatin treatment will reduce the level of liver damage. If successful, this would be important information that would enable us to design treatments applicable to human sufferers of these liver diseases. In another part of the project, we will assess whether activin and follistatin might be useful markers of liver disease. Most patients require a liver biopsy to assess the amount of liver damage, and a simple blood test would be a far easier, less traumatic and cheaper alternative.Read moreRead less
The Development Of Novel, Biofilm-resistant Biomaterials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$147,360.00
Summary
Almost all patients who are catheterised long term develop a bacterial infection. Most often, the infection is the result of colonisation of the catheter surface by bacteria. Bacterial colonisation of the surface of biomedical devices represents a significant health threat as such bacterial biofilms are extremely resistant to traditional antibiotic regimens. This project aims to develop novel materials that prevent bacterial colonisation on catheters and other biomedical related devices. Our tec ....Almost all patients who are catheterised long term develop a bacterial infection. Most often, the infection is the result of colonisation of the catheter surface by bacteria. Bacterial colonisation of the surface of biomedical devices represents a significant health threat as such bacterial biofilms are extremely resistant to traditional antibiotic regimens. This project aims to develop novel materials that prevent bacterial colonisation on catheters and other biomedical related devices. Our technology is based on compounds identified from a marine alga that prevent bacterial colonisation of its surface. Similarly, we have shown that these compounds, when coated onto test surfaces, prevent bacterial colonisation of a range of materials.Read moreRead less