Defining The In Vivo Contribution Of Leukocyte Extracellular Traps To Infective Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$598,363.00
Summary
Neutrophils are the white blood cells that protect against infection. A surprising protective neutrophil behaviour was recently described – neutrophils can pack up their internal DNA and antimicrobial enzymes and explosively release them into their surrounds, forming a “Neutrophil Extracellular Trap” (NET). This project uses zebrafish built have fluorescent neutrophils to study NET release in living animals. We will learn how NETs control infection and what goes wrong when NETs cause disease.
Do Bone Marrow Macrophages Regulate Leukaemia Stem Cells And Their Response To Treatment?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,103.00
Summary
This project will investigate the role of population of immune cells called macrophages in promoting resistance of leukaemia cells to chemotherapy treatments. As a high proportion of adult patients with acute leukaemia cannot be cured with current treatments, this project could lead to more efficacious therapies targeting macrophages to sensitise leukaemia cells to chemotherapy treatments.
Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Of Fungal Infection Pathogenesis And Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,028.00
Summary
Fungal infections are serious problems for patients with depressed immunity such as chemotherapy or transplant patients. More effective antifungal treatments are needed. We will study a model of fungal infection in zebrafish embryos that recapitulates human penicilliosis. The research will study how the infection establishes and how different types of white blood cells either help or hinder infection establishment. The results will point to new approaches for treating serious fungal infections.
Recipient Bone Marrow Macrophages Contribute To Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Success
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$608,906.00
Summary
We propose an innovative approach to reduce risk and increase success of blood stem cell transplantation. We will determine whether a specialized cell within the transplant patient is required for donor stem cells to successfully take up residence and recreate the blood and immune system. We will test whether fortifying these specialized cells will improve transplantation outcomes, consequently increasing the number of transplants that can proceed and reducing potentially fatal complications.
Modelling Haematopoietic Disease And Leukocyte Function Using Zebrafish Models
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$686,656.00
Summary
Dr Lieschke studies white blood cell function and diseases. His biomedical research uses zebrafish animal models of human white blood cell diseases and he is an international expert on their blood and immune systems. His current research aims to understand what goes wrong in diseases when there are too many white blood cells (as in leukaemia), or too few (as in some hereditary diseases), and to develop new therapies for controlling inflammatory and infective diseases.