Deciphering The Mechanisms Underlying LRP-mediated Axon Guidance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$370,659.00
Summary
Nerve damage can develop post injury or disease and are often very debilitating, slow to heal and cause increased pain. Our work aims to examine a new class of molecules that we show can activate selected fat-receptors on nerve cells to guide the growth of regenerating nerves. We will determine how these receptors function with the aim of developing a novel class of therapeutics directed at healing nerve damage.
Each year more than one million people in the US alone suffer serious nerve injury significantly impairing quality of life and costing more than US$7 billion. This research will develop nerve conduits based on polymers and the natural constituents of nerve to provide an alternative to the current practice of nerve grafting. It is envisaged that this conduit will provide an effective platform for nerve repair and will expedite the development of regenerative platforms for other neural tissues.
Therapeutic Development Of A Novel EphA4 Antagonist For Spinal Cord Injuries
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,105.00
Summary
Spinal cord injuries impose a significant burden on patients and their carers. At present, there are no treatments for spinal cord injury that provide functional improvement. This research program will develop a novel therapeutic molecule, EphA4-Fc, which promotes axonal regeneration and delivers significant functional improvement. We will determine the most effective protocol for EphA4-Fc administration and the physiological and functional outcomes of these treatment regimes.
Functional Maturation Of Adult Neural Progenitor Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$701,390.00
Summary
This proposal seeks to understand how the production of functional nerve cells in the brain is regulated. Specifically we will focus on the way in which adult neuronal precursor cells (neuroblasts) in the brain acquire their functional characteristics as they mature into active entities capable of forming neural networks. We will examine the expression and activation of specific membrane proteins (ion channels) on the differentiation and migration of neuronal precursor cells.
Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Neurodegenerative Disease And The Neuronal Response To Trauma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$406,264.00
Summary
Brain and spinal cord injury are major causes of death and disability, with degenerative diseases similarly affecting large proportions of the population. The singular objective of my research proposal is to increase our understanding of the molecular and cellular processes by which nerve cells respond to trauma and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and to identify new therapeutic approaches aimed at encouraging the repair of damaged cells.
Signalling Mechanisms Regulating Neurogenesis And Neurite Outgrowth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$486,000.00
Summary
Injury and diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), such as traumatic injury, stroke, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's disease, affect a substantial number of Australians each year and often have long-term consequences for sufferers and their families. This is primarily due to a lack of robust repair of the damage and a paucity of therapeutic strategies available for treatment. However, although many hurdles are yet to be faced, there is a substantial body of evidence that has emer ....Injury and diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), such as traumatic injury, stroke, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's disease, affect a substantial number of Australians each year and often have long-term consequences for sufferers and their families. This is primarily due to a lack of robust repair of the damage and a paucity of therapeutic strategies available for treatment. However, although many hurdles are yet to be faced, there is a substantial body of evidence that has emerged in recent years, that has led to the view that repair of the central nervous system following injury of disease may indeed be a possibility. Effective neural repair is likely to require a multi-factorial approach, including blockage of neuronal death, replacement of lost neurons by neural stem cells, and regulation of appropriate subsequent neurite outgrowth and formation of correct connections. We have shown that a regulator of cytokine signaling, SOCS2, promotes neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth. This project aims to continue our investigations of the role of SOCS2 and interacting factors in regulating neuronal differentiation as well as substantially expanding our investigations into the role of SOCS2 in regulating neurite outgrowth, using both in vitro and in vivo models. An understanding of the mechanisms involved in these processes may allow us to derive therapies for the repair of the nervous system after injury or disease.Read moreRead less
Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Of Vertebrate Brain Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$586,428.00
Summary
The essential steps in forming a normal functioning brain occur during life as an embryo. If these processes go haywire, there can be serious repercussions for life after birth. This project seeks to understand how the brain forms during embryonic stages so that better treatments and procedures can be developed to deal with developmental problems.
Investigating The Potential Of Human Stem Cells To Repair The Degenerating Auditory Nerve After Deafness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$310,787.00
Summary
One in four Australians is predicted to experience some form of hearing loss by 2050. Hearing loss is irreversible and the chief clinical treatment available for severe to profound hearing loss is a cochlear implant. However, cochlear implant efficacy is limited by the degeneration of the auditory nerve following hearing loss. Using stem cells, this project will develop techniques to restore function to the auditory nerve through replacement of the specialised cells that comprise it.
Preventing Preterm Lung Disease - A Cell Therapy Approach.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$460,610.00
Summary
Due to improvements in medical care, the survival of very premature babies has greatly improved over the past 20 years. However, many of these children are surviving with disability due to severe chronic lung disease of prematurity. Currently, there are no effective treatments for this lung disease. This project explores the use of placental stem cells as a lung repair and regeneration therapy - a therapy that can be given to the baby in the days immediately following its birth.