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Analysis Of Perinatal Influences On Aboriginal Child Health And Potential Markers Of Chronic Adult Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$151,130.00
Summary
Aboriginal babies in the Northern Territory have a low birth rate about twice that for non-Aboriginal Australians. Most of these babies are small because of poor intrauterine growth. At the same time Aboriginal children have high rates of infectious diseases and malnutrition and adults have high rates of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, renal and chronic lung diseases with a life expectancy 20 years lower than non-Aboriginal Australians. An Aboriginal birth cohort of 686 with detailed ....Aboriginal babies in the Northern Territory have a low birth rate about twice that for non-Aboriginal Australians. Most of these babies are small because of poor intrauterine growth. At the same time Aboriginal children have high rates of infectious diseases and malnutrition and adults have high rates of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, renal and chronic lung diseases with a life expectancy 20 years lower than non-Aboriginal Australians. An Aboriginal birth cohort of 686 with detailed information on maternal medical and obstetric health and birth size and gestation as well as childhood growth has been reexamined in detail at 10 -12 years of age. Information about current nutrition, health and social environment has been collected. Analysis linking all this information will contribute to an understanding of the factors which predict illness in childhood and influence the development of chronic respiratory, renal, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in Aboriginal adults. The findings will have important implications for the prevention and early intervention of the excess childhood and adult illnesses in the Aboriginal community.Read moreRead less
Identifying The Relationship Between Biochemical Markers And Healing In Chronic Leg Ulcers Treated With Compression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,159.00
Summary
Chronic leg ulcers are a significant cause of pain, immobility and decreased quality of life for 1 - 3% of the over 60 years age group. The condition is difficult to heal and commonly becomes a long term problem, costing the Australian health care system over $500 million - year. Additional costs to the community include loss of productivity and social support systems necessary for people with limited mobility. As the number of people aged over 65 years is expected to double in the next few deca ....Chronic leg ulcers are a significant cause of pain, immobility and decreased quality of life for 1 - 3% of the over 60 years age group. The condition is difficult to heal and commonly becomes a long term problem, costing the Australian health care system over $500 million - year. Additional costs to the community include loss of productivity and social support systems necessary for people with limited mobility. As the number of people aged over 65 years is expected to double in the next few decades, this problem will become increasingly significant. Most chronic leg ulcers are caused by venous disease, and compression bandage therapy is the accepted standard treatment. However, there is little information available on the cellular responses associated with compression treatment and how they promote wound healing. The project proposed here will examine the cellular responses to compression and investigate the relationships between these cellular responses and wound healing. Knowledge gained from the study will provide valuable information for improved techniques to promote wound healing, improved ulcer healing rates, informed decisions on wound care treatment, improved qualtiy of life and reduced health care costs.Read moreRead less
Improving Functional Capacity In Patients With Chronic Lung Disease With High Intensity Respiratory Muscle Training
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,880.00
Summary
Patients with chronic respiratory disease have limited exercise capacity, which severely impairs their quality of life. The mechanisms responsible for this impairment may relate to their lung disease, or to the long-term effects that inactivity has on the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs involving whole-body exercise are now widely used as an addition to standard medical therapy as a way of decreasing symptoms and optimising function. While these gene ....Patients with chronic respiratory disease have limited exercise capacity, which severely impairs their quality of life. The mechanisms responsible for this impairment may relate to their lung disease, or to the long-term effects that inactivity has on the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs involving whole-body exercise are now widely used as an addition to standard medical therapy as a way of decreasing symptoms and optimising function. While these generalised, broad-based programs result in modest improvements in peripheral muscle function, cardiovascular function, functional exercise capacity and quality of life, it is now apparent they have little or no effect on respiratory muscle function, which is also greatly impaired in COPD. The aims of this study are to answer two longstanding questions that are fundamental to rehabilitation programs in patients with COPD (i) does a program of specific respiratory muscle training alone improve whole-body exercise capacity, dyspnoea, and-or quality of life? and (ii) does the addition of a program of specific respiratory muscle training to a standard whole-body exercise rehabilitation program result in improvemed exercise capacity, dyspnoea and-or quality of life to a greater degree than a program of whole-body exercise training alone? The study is of importance to patients with COPD by investigating the mechanisms underlying the improvement in exercise capacity following a rehabilitation program and the role of respiratory muscle training in such a program. By more accurately defining the mechanisms of exercise limitation we may be able to maximise the benefits obtained during a rehabilitation program, including improved work capacity, reduction in the degree of breathlessness and improved quality of life.Read moreRead less
A Genome-wide Search For Genes Underlying The Developmental Origins Of Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,022,552.00
Summary
Epidemic rises in the incidence of many chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and mental illness have occurred in Australia over the last two decades. Antenatal, early life and childhood factors have been consistently associated with the development of such diseases. We propose to conduct a genome-wide scan in an exceptional longitudinal birth cohort in order to identify the genetic mechanisms linking early life event and adult disease.
Platelet Receptor Shedding In Stroke And Thrombosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$552,503.00
Summary
In response to tissue injury and bleeding, blood platelets use receptors to form a thrombus (blood clot) and block further loss of blood and aid tissue repair. In inflammation or disease, abberant platelet activation can form a thrombus within cerebral (stroke) or coronary vessels (heart attack). We examine how a thrombus-limiting step (platelet receptor shedding) is triggered in thrombus-forming platelets, and if shed receptor can be used as a blood marker of abberant platelet activation.
Tubulovillous Adenomas In Colorectal Tumorigenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$295,983.00
Summary
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer affecting Australians today, and half of all patients will not survive their disease. Bowel cancer grows from small growths called polyps. In this project, we aim to investigate changes in genes found in a particularly aggressive type of bowel polyp called a tubulovillous adenoma. A better understanding of these gene changes will aid the future development of molecular tests for early detection and therapeutic options for the treatment of cancer.
The CpG Island Methylator Phenotype In Colorectal Cancer - Pathways And Precursors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$517,272.00
Summary
Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting Australians. It will affect 1-23 Australians and is a leading cause of cancer-related death. If diagnosed early, bowel cancer is curable with surgery. Unfortunately, symptoms are often not present until the cancer is advanced, when the cure rate is only 55%. It has been recognised that there are different types of bowel cancer depending on different genes which can be inactivated abnormally. We propose that there are at least four differen ....Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting Australians. It will affect 1-23 Australians and is a leading cause of cancer-related death. If diagnosed early, bowel cancer is curable with surgery. Unfortunately, symptoms are often not present until the cancer is advanced, when the cure rate is only 55%. It has been recognised that there are different types of bowel cancer depending on different genes which can be inactivated abnormally. We propose that there are at least four different subgroups of bowel tumours, and that each of these may have different physical properties and responses to therapy. We aim to better characterise these subgroups to increase our understanding of how normal bowel can change into a small polyp, that may grow into a cancer. Understanding the gene changes leading to each subtype of bowel cancer will in the future allow the development gene markers for early detection as well as the possibility of individualised patient therapy. We are also studying tiny biopsies of normal bowel tissue from patients either with or without polyps, to try to understand the very earliest changes which may underly the development of a bowel polyp.Read moreRead less
A number of previous studies have shown high levels of two proteins, STC1 and STC2, in a substantial subset of breast cancers. We are proposing to do the first definitive analyses of whether these hormone-like proteins contribute to breast cancer growth. If yes, they are suitable targets for development of new treatments.