Inflammation and cancer are at the heart of many human diseases. This particularly applies to the major global problem of liver fibrosis and liver cancer affecting almost half a billion of the worlds population. This Program brings together researchers with expertise in basic science and the clinic with the aim of exploring these issues at the cellular and molecular level. The ergistic and combinatorial use of basic and clinical skills gives a high likelihood of discoveries leading to new therap ....Inflammation and cancer are at the heart of many human diseases. This particularly applies to the major global problem of liver fibrosis and liver cancer affecting almost half a billion of the worlds population. This Program brings together researchers with expertise in basic science and the clinic with the aim of exploring these issues at the cellular and molecular level. The ergistic and combinatorial use of basic and clinical skills gives a high likelihood of discoveries leading to new therapies.Read moreRead less
Development Of Innovative Approaches To Manage Insect-transmitted Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,435,142.00
Summary
This program grant focuses on the development of new methods to control mosquito-borne diseases, including those caused by dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and chikungunya viruses. We are investigating whether the introduction of Wolbachia micro-organisms into mosquitoes can be used to selectively eliminate old mosquitoes and reduce transmission of human pathogens. We will also determine whether Wolbachia have any non-lethal affects on mosquito behaviours such as dispersal and biting activity whic ....This program grant focuses on the development of new methods to control mosquito-borne diseases, including those caused by dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and chikungunya viruses. We are investigating whether the introduction of Wolbachia micro-organisms into mosquitoes can be used to selectively eliminate old mosquitoes and reduce transmission of human pathogens. We will also determine whether Wolbachia have any non-lethal affects on mosquito behaviours such as dispersal and biting activity which determine the level of contact between mosquitoes and humans.Read moreRead less
Immunity And Pathogenesis In Tropical And Infectious Diseases: Implications For Vaccines And
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$15,794,553.00
Summary
Malaria, streptococcal diseases, helminthiases and scabies are diseases of indigenous people on a massive scale, which lack vaccines. We aim to understand the pathogenesis of these diseases and develop vaccines and other treatments to combat them. Team includes senior experts on infectious diseases with long collaborative histories and younger members with impressive credentials. The work proposed also concerns inventive new ways of making such vaccines by novel chemical methods and aspects of d ....Malaria, streptococcal diseases, helminthiases and scabies are diseases of indigenous people on a massive scale, which lack vaccines. We aim to understand the pathogenesis of these diseases and develop vaccines and other treatments to combat them. Team includes senior experts on infectious diseases with long collaborative histories and younger members with impressive credentials. The work proposed also concerns inventive new ways of making such vaccines by novel chemical methods and aspects of delivery.Read moreRead less
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR PATHOGENESIS OF HUMAN LIVER DISEASE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,928,323.00
Summary
n humans, chronic liver diseases cause cirrhosis of the liver in some but not all individuals. This leads to protracted ill-health, complications (fluid retention in the abdomen, confusion, bloodstream infections, kidney failure, liver cancer) resulting in hospitalisation, liver transplantation and premature death. In Australia, cirrhosis is an important cause of death and of years of potential life lost, while liver cancer has recently doubled and is predicted to treble by 2020. The common caus ....n humans, chronic liver diseases cause cirrhosis of the liver in some but not all individuals. This leads to protracted ill-health, complications (fluid retention in the abdomen, confusion, bloodstream infections, kidney failure, liver cancer) resulting in hospitalisation, liver transplantation and premature death. In Australia, cirrhosis is an important cause of death and of years of potential life lost, while liver cancer has recently doubled and is predicted to treble by 2020. The common causes are hepatitis C, fatty liver disorders, alcohol and hepatitis B; when 2 of these are present together, there is a higher risk of cirrhosis. This program aims to unravel the pathological processes which cause cirrhosis at the molecular and cellular levels, in order to understand why some people are at higher risk. These processes could result from genetic predisposition, other constitutional factors (age, gender) or from lifestyle factors (overnutrition, inactivity, alcohol). The 3 chief investigators from Westmead s Millennium Institute and the Centenary Institute of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital are international experts in hepatitis C, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other fatty liver disorders, autoimmune hepatitis, liver transplantation, and scarring processes that lead to cirrhosis of the liver. The new knowledge that will result from these studies will be used to help prevent people developing severe forms of chronic liver disease, and for treating cirrhosis if it has already occurred.Read moreRead less
The genome project has opened the path for the study of diseases using genetics. This approach is still quite recent in human and mammalian biology. It requires a large amount of input from statisticians and computer scientists as well as from the biologists and clinicians working on the disease. The team is looking for genes causing complex genetic diseases and use human populations and families as well as mouse models of human diseases. This includes modifiers of cancer development and respons ....The genome project has opened the path for the study of diseases using genetics. This approach is still quite recent in human and mammalian biology. It requires a large amount of input from statisticians and computer scientists as well as from the biologists and clinicians working on the disease. The team is looking for genes causing complex genetic diseases and use human populations and families as well as mouse models of human diseases. This includes modifiers of cancer development and response to infectious disease as well as deafness and autoimmune diseases.Read moreRead less
Host Parasite Interactions: Disease, Pathogenesis And Control
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$13,738,897.00
Summary
Our program will investigate two major global parasitic diseases: malaria and leishmaniasis. We will explore how the parasites identify and invade the host. This is a critical stage of the infection and we will characterise proteins involved as they are potential targets for drugs and vaccines against the parasites. Many of these recognition and interaction components are excellent candidates for the development of vaccines to interrupt the cycle of infection. We are also unravelling metabolic p ....Our program will investigate two major global parasitic diseases: malaria and leishmaniasis. We will explore how the parasites identify and invade the host. This is a critical stage of the infection and we will characterise proteins involved as they are potential targets for drugs and vaccines against the parasites. Many of these recognition and interaction components are excellent candidates for the development of vaccines to interrupt the cycle of infection. We are also unravelling metabolic pathways unique to the parasites using a mixture of genetic and computational tools complemented with sophisticated instrumentation to chemically identify the parasite�s entire repertoire of metabolic compounds. These pathways, absent from human hosts, are also highly vulnerable and we will feed the key steps into the drug development facet of the program. Our program also looks at how the parasites cause disease and how the host responds to the disease. We will explore the reactions of the immune system to infection and consequences of the body�s (often only partially successful) attempts to fight off the disease.Read moreRead less
Depressive And Bipolar Disorders: Evaluating Determinants Of Onset, Recovery And Treatment Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$7,861,447.00
Summary
The depressive disorders, including bipolar disorder, are highly prevalent in the Australian community. These illnesses may be chronic or relapsing, may impair the capacity to work and can be resistant to treatment. The research team addresses this public health and clinical problem by undertaking a number of studies pursuing factors influencing predisposition and onset to disorder, clarifying the effectiveness of new treatments, and investigating factors predictive of treatment response and res ....The depressive disorders, including bipolar disorder, are highly prevalent in the Australian community. These illnesses may be chronic or relapsing, may impair the capacity to work and can be resistant to treatment. The research team addresses this public health and clinical problem by undertaking a number of studies pursuing factors influencing predisposition and onset to disorder, clarifying the effectiveness of new treatments, and investigating factors predictive of treatment response and resistance.Read moreRead less