There is evidence that elderly cancer patients are often inappropriately treated because of their age. This is usually because of concerns that aged patients can not eliminate drugs as well as the young and, as a result, could end up being overdosed. Some drugs are removed from the body through the urine and adjusting for decreased kidney function (which often decreases with age) means that adequate doses can be calculated. However, many anti-cancer drugs are removed from the body by being broke ....There is evidence that elderly cancer patients are often inappropriately treated because of their age. This is usually because of concerns that aged patients can not eliminate drugs as well as the young and, as a result, could end up being overdosed. Some drugs are removed from the body through the urine and adjusting for decreased kidney function (which often decreases with age) means that adequate doses can be calculated. However, many anti-cancer drugs are removed from the body by being broken down (or metabolised) in the liver. The rate of this process is very difficult to estimate. Although many studies have shown that liver drug metabolism is decreased with age, it is unclear whether this is due strictly to age itself or some of the conditions which accompany ageing. We aim to study the removal of anti-cancer drugs in patients treated for cancer to see what the effects of ageing are. We will estimate the extent of liver breakdown and examine whether it is a function of age or rather of several factors which are often associated with age such as inflammation, reduced nutritional status and other medical conditions. The optimal outcome of the study will be methods for correctly adjusting the dose of anticancer drugs for maximal benefit to the elderly patient.Read moreRead less
Drugs are applied to the skin for the treatment of a wide range of conditions including both local (inflammation, pain, eczema, psoriasis) and systemic (angina, nicotine withdrawl, hormone replacement therapy) therapies. Unwanted skin absorption also occurs following exposure to environmental and occupational chemicals, including those applied deliberately to the skin such as insectisides, sunscreens and cosmetics. This study seeks to examine the relationship between the chemical structure of ag ....Drugs are applied to the skin for the treatment of a wide range of conditions including both local (inflammation, pain, eczema, psoriasis) and systemic (angina, nicotine withdrawl, hormone replacement therapy) therapies. Unwanted skin absorption also occurs following exposure to environmental and occupational chemicals, including those applied deliberately to the skin such as insectisides, sunscreens and cosmetics. This study seeks to examine the relationship between the chemical structure of agents, the types of formulations in which they are applied and their penetration into the various layers of the skin and underlying tissues. We intend to further our research into important areas relating to the ability to predict the likely behaviour of a solute which comes into contact with the skin from the aspect of optimising both topical drug delivery systems and risk assessment procedures. We will also be examining techniques of facilitating drug transport through the skin using (i) the knowledge gained of the mechanisms by which vehicles act on the skin, (ii) the synthesis of ester and amide lipophilic prodrugs and (iii) physical techniques such as iontophoresis, whereby small electrical currents are applied to charged drug species on the outside of the skin.Read moreRead less
This project will improve our understanding of how painkiller medicines work in very old and frail people which will improve the use of these medicines in pain management. This study will carefully examine pain control with two of the most commonly used pain killer medicines - paracetamol and oxycodone. By understanding all the factors that influence an older persons pain control we will be able to improve the safe and effective use of painkiller medicines in this special group of people.
Validating And Optimising The Analysis Of Magnetic Resonance Physiology Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$91,725.00
Summary
Combined electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is used to detect the anatomical areas in the brain that show electrical activity. Several centres worldwide use this technique to localise the seizure focus in patients with epilepsy. However, there is a lack of validation of the currently applied techniques. Current analysis methods have been developed and validated for other fMRI paradigms, such as motor tasks. It is not known whether the same principles ar ....Combined electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is used to detect the anatomical areas in the brain that show electrical activity. Several centres worldwide use this technique to localise the seizure focus in patients with epilepsy. However, there is a lack of validation of the currently applied techniques. Current analysis methods have been developed and validated for other fMRI paradigms, such as motor tasks. It is not known whether the same principles are applicable and optimal for fMRI-EEG data. The proposed project aims at validating and optimising the analysis strategies for fMRI-EEG data.Read moreRead less
Self-limiting Anti-inflammatory Actions Of Glucocorticoids In Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$377,036.00
Summary
Asthma is a disease characterised by excessive narrowing of the airway tubes resulting in difficulty exhaling air from the lungs. Symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing. Asthma affects almost 1 in 5 Australians and is especially prevelant in children. One in every three Australians will suffer from symptoms of asthma at some time in their life and despite current therapy, asthma is responsible for the deaths of more than 700 Australians eve ....Asthma is a disease characterised by excessive narrowing of the airway tubes resulting in difficulty exhaling air from the lungs. Symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing. Asthma affects almost 1 in 5 Australians and is especially prevelant in children. One in every three Australians will suffer from symptoms of asthma at some time in their life and despite current therapy, asthma is responsible for the deaths of more than 700 Australians every year. Airway tubes of asthmatics have more and larger contractile muscle cells lining the tubes. This increase in muscle mass results from chemicals that are released from white blood cells that migrate into the airway tubes during and after asthma attacks. This thickening slows airflow through the airway tubes because the muscle mass bulges into the holes of the tubes and when the muscle shortens the total diameter of the tubes decrease. We have recently shown that steroids used by asthmatics to treat the white blood cell contribution to the disease can reduce the growth of airway muscle. However, when the muscle has been pretreated with factors that are present in the inflamed airway, the anti-growth effects of steroids are prevented. This effect of the steroids is due to reduced production of a substance called prostaglandin E2 which can also reduce the growth of muscle. Thus, whilst steroids may help in treating some of the symptoms of asthma, they may be suboptimal in the treatment of muscle thickening and other aspects of the disease which involve cell division and multiplication. Our specific question in the next phase of this research is whether steroid inhibition of the release of prostaglandins compromises the useful actions of steroids on the growth of the airway tubes. The findings of this proposed study will provide new information on the role of steroids in asthma and may lead to better therapeutic strategies for the treatment of severe asthma.Read moreRead less