Development Of Clinical Algorithms To Diagnose And Predict Prognosis Of Food Allergy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$136,636.00
Summary
Australia has the highest rate of food allergy internationally. Despite ongoing research into the area, there is currently no cure, with patient avoidance the most effective mode for the prevention of food allergy. A food challenge still the gold standard for food allergy diagnosis, and although definitive, is associated with a risk of anaphylaxis. My research aims to identify the biological differences between active disease and being healthy to develop novel diagnostic methods for food allergy
Novel Methods To Diagnose Clinical Egg Allergy And Predict Prognostic Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Australia has the highest rate of food allergy in the world. Despite ongoing research into the area, there is currently no cure, with patient avoidance the most effective way to prevent food reactions. A food challenge is the gold standard for food allergy diagnosis. Although definitive, it is associated with a risk of anaphylaxis. My research aims to identify the biological differences between having food allergy and not having food allergy to develop novel diagnostic methods.
Surveillance Of LGV Chlamydia Trachomatis Types Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$194,875.00
Summary
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT). Annually, 50 million new cases of chlamydia are estimated to occur worldwide which if untreated, can lead to serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in women and epididymitis in men. Over the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in diagnoses of chlamydia in Australia, coinciding with a reported upsurge in sexual risk behaviour (increased partne ....Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT). Annually, 50 million new cases of chlamydia are estimated to occur worldwide which if untreated, can lead to serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in women and epididymitis in men. Over the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in diagnoses of chlamydia in Australia, coinciding with a reported upsurge in sexual risk behaviour (increased partner numbers and-or practices of unprotected sex), particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). In addition, there are current outbreaks of an invasive CT strain, causing lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), throughout Western Europe, with cases now reported in the USA. LGV can lead to severe anogenital ulcers, which can increase transmission of HIV, hepatitis C, and other STIs. With growing international travel, the likelihood of LGV outbreaks in Australia, particularly in MSM, is increased. Recently, isolated cases of LGV have been noted in MSM attending Sydney and Melbourne Sexual Health Centres, indicating LGV is possibly already in circulation. Since we know little about circulating CT types in Australia it would be difficult to assess the burden of an LGV outbreak. Due to increasing CT infections and likely risk of increased HIV transmission, particularly with LGV strains, surveillance of CT genotypes in Australia, especially in MSM, is important. The purpose of this study is to type CT strains in our population by looking at their genetic makeup. CT-positive specimens from Melbourne and Sydney will be used to identify CT types in circulation and to assess if LGV types are present. The knowledge obtained from this study will be novel and invaluable, and could contribute considerably to the development of improved disease prevention and intervention strategies, including the design of vaccines.Read moreRead less
Molecular Characterisation And Diagnosis Of Malignant Mesothelioma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,250.00
Summary
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive, asbestos-related tumour of increasing incidence throughout the world that is estimated to be cause approximately 20,000 deaths per annum . MM was rare until approximately 20-30 years ago but it is now more, or as, common a cause of death in Australia as cancers of the bone, liver, cervix, bladder and ovary. Although asbestos use has declined to virtually zero across most of the developed world, due to 30 to 40 year latency of the disease, the peak in ....Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive, asbestos-related tumour of increasing incidence throughout the world that is estimated to be cause approximately 20,000 deaths per annum . MM was rare until approximately 20-30 years ago but it is now more, or as, common a cause of death in Australia as cancers of the bone, liver, cervix, bladder and ovary. Although asbestos use has declined to virtually zero across most of the developed world, due to 30 to 40 year latency of the disease, the peak in cases of mesothelioma is not expected until 2010. MM is one of the most aggressive and debilitating tumours known, with a median survival of 7-10 months and a clinical pattern that usually involves substantial pain and dyspnea. Advances in therapy-prevention of mesothelioma will have not only have a major health impact, but potentially an extraordinary economic impact. MM is predicted to cost the Australian economy around $5 billion in compensation over the next 35-40 years. Government, insurance companies and industry will share that cost. The significance of this disease therefore extends beyond its actual incidence. There is growing evidence in many tumour types that the best diagnostics and treatments for cancer will come about as a result of understanding the molecular logic that underpins carcinogenesis, and designing therapies and diagnostics accordingly. We will carry out a project using the most comprehensive microarrays available to profile gene expression in malignant mesothelioma. We will use the expression data we obtain to fulfil three aims. Firstly, we will use patient outcome information to search for genes whose expression is indicative of response to therapy. Secondly, we will search the data to identify candidate secreted molecules which may be useful in the early detection of MM. Finally, we will develop a molecular assay to unequivocally diagnose MM from cells collected from pleural effusions.Read moreRead less
Nigel G Laing, NH&MRC Principal Research Fellowship: Neurogenetics – Gene Discovery, Pathobiology, Novel Therapeutics, Novel Diagnostics And Translation.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$880,454.00
Summary
My Fellowship will expand my work identifying diseases genes for genetic muscle and nerve diseases by using new technologies that allow discovery of human disease genes which could not be found before. In addition, since we now have proof from mouse studies that heart actin is a target for therapy for the group of diseases that we discovered caused by mutations in the muscle actin protein, we shall take further steps towards making this therapy a reality for patients.
Discovering New Biomarkers In Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$122,714.00
Summary
Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer death with increasing rates and a high mortality. The project will develop new methods to predict liver cancer risk and outcomes using circulating samples rather than invasive biopsies. Our data shows that tissue and cells shed specific blebs into the circulation and these can contain unique information about the tissue of origin. We propose a series of experiments to show that these circulating samples are able to predict risk and outcomes with liver
Epigenetics is a term that describes modification of gene expression without a change to the DNA sequence, through processes that involve chemical changes to the DNA such as DNA methylation and binding of specific proteins. It is now well established that epigenetics plays a major role in cancer development, but one of the important questions still to be resolved is the mechanism that is responsible for epigenetic changes. Our recent work has uncovered a new mechanism of epigenetic gene silencin ....Epigenetics is a term that describes modification of gene expression without a change to the DNA sequence, through processes that involve chemical changes to the DNA such as DNA methylation and binding of specific proteins. It is now well established that epigenetics plays a major role in cancer development, but one of the important questions still to be resolved is the mechanism that is responsible for epigenetic changes. Our recent work has uncovered a new mechanism of epigenetic gene silencing in cancer that can effect large chromosomal regions. We have found that both methylated and unmethylated genes can be silenced by changes to the pattern of proteins that bind to the DNA in a cancer cell. Our data also indicates that this silencing can be reversed using epigenetic drugs. This finding represents a new paradigm in epigenetic control and has major implications not only on cancer diagnostics but also cancer epigenetic therapy. In this grant we propose to further characterise and understand the mechanism involved in long range epigenetic silencing and to determine its prevalence in cancer. This proposal will shed light onto the process underlying long range epigenetic gene silencing in cancer and will provide potential novel targets for cancer detection, prognosis and therapy.Read moreRead less
Microevolution And Transmission Of MRSA In A Hospital Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$623,300.00
Summary
Multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cause hospital-acquired infections and are responsible for unnecessary illness and excess health costs. It is hard to identify how different strains spread and which are most likely to cause disease, without a rapid, simple fingerprinting system. We have developed one, which we will use to identify the most _successful� MRSA strains. Then we will sequence their whole genomes, to determine why they are _successful� to devise ways to combat them.
Epigenetic Silencing Of Large Chromosomal Regions In Prostate Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$745,356.00
Summary
Epigenetics is a term that desribes modification of gene expression without a change to the DNA sequence through processes that involve chemical change to the DNA such as methylation. In this grant we will further characterise and understand the mechanism involved in long range epigenetic silencing and determine its prevalence in prostate cancer. This study will provide potential novel targets for prostate cancer detection, prognosis and therapy.