Improved Patient Outcomes Through Dosage Individualisation Of The Newer Immunosuppressant Drugs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$486,206.00
Summary
After organ transplantation, recipients need to take medicines continually to stop their immune system from rejecting their new organ. This treatment with immunosuppressant drugs is vital for long-term success of their graft. However, too many people are losing their transplant or are experiencing drug toxicity or infection due to poorly managed immunosuppression. The project aims to accurately define the best way to dose newer immunosuppressant drugs in Australian transplant populations.
Hormonal Resuscitation And P38 MAP Kinase Inhibition To Enhance Quality Of Cadaveric Donor Organs For Transplantation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,500.00
Summary
The transplantation of organs such as the heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas from brain-dead donors is limited primarily by the shortage of donor organs. It is now recognised that as many as 25% (one in four) potentially usuable donor organs are lost after brain death due to the rapid deterioration that occurs in organs after brain death. There is evidence that this deterioration is due to loss of the normal hormones that are essential to the normal functioning of these organs. In this proj ....The transplantation of organs such as the heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas from brain-dead donors is limited primarily by the shortage of donor organs. It is now recognised that as many as 25% (one in four) potentially usuable donor organs are lost after brain death due to the rapid deterioration that occurs in organs after brain death. There is evidence that this deterioration is due to loss of the normal hormones that are essential to the normal functioning of these organs. In this project, we will use a pig model of brain death that we have extablished in our laboratory to examine the effects of hormone replacement on the function of organs that are used for transplantation. We will also test a novel drug aimed at protecting donor organs during the period between removal of the organ and transplantation. If successful, these treatments have the potential to markedly increase the numbers of organ transplants and to improve the outcomes for recipients of these transplants. In the Australian and New Zealand setting, a 25% increase in the number of donor organs would results in approximately 220 more people per year receiving these life-saving operations.Read moreRead less
The Role Of C-Rel In Controlling Chromatin Architecture And Transcription Networks In T Lymphocytes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$531,696.00
Summary
The immune system is poised to respond to invading viruses or bacteria and eliminate them as efficiently as possible. Incorrect activation of the immune system leads to chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. Immune cells can also grow in an uncotrolled manner causing leukamia. The cells of the immune system recognise pathogens and respond by altering the patterns of proteins produced by the cells allowing the system to eliminate the invading organisms. The altered protein production patterns ste ....The immune system is poised to respond to invading viruses or bacteria and eliminate them as efficiently as possible. Incorrect activation of the immune system leads to chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. Immune cells can also grow in an uncotrolled manner causing leukamia. The cells of the immune system recognise pathogens and respond by altering the patterns of proteins produced by the cells allowing the system to eliminate the invading organisms. The altered protein production patterns stem from changes in the gene expression profile of the cells. The gene expression profile of the cell is determinded by the activity of proteins called transcription factors. One such factor, c-Rel, has been implicated in allergy, autoimmunity, in transplant rejection and in leukemia. The aim of this project is to study the function of c-Rel in T cells, an important cell type in the immune system. The overall aim is to understand how c-Rel controls the gene expression profile of T cells so that a rational basis for c-Rel as a drug target can be designed.Read moreRead less
Global Data Mapping And Evaluation Of Needs, Capacities And Benchmarks In Organ Donation And Transplantation: Informing Effective Local And International Health Policy To Better Meet The Needs Of Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,575.00
Summary
Global shortages of donor organs limit the provision of reliable and equitable access to solid organ transplantation. As a result, many are excluded from waiting lists, others deteriorate whilst awaiting transplantation, and some seek to purchase the needed organ. Countries have a responsibility to provide transplantation services sufficient to meet population need. This project evaluates international data for key interventions that may impact on waitlisting, donation and transplant practices.
Rapidly giving intravenous fluid to prevent or treat shock (fluid resuscitation) is one of the commonest treatments given to critically ill patients. Current guidelines recommend crystalloid solutions but it is unknown whether any particular crystalloid is better than others. This trial will determine whether the use of one of two crystalloid fluids, saline or PlasmaLyte, reduces the risk of organ injuries, such as kidney failure, and improves patients chances of surviving critically illness.
Appropriate growth of organs is essential for life and can go awry in diseases such as cancer. A crucial regulator of organ size and cancer that I co-discovered is the Hippo pathway. I aim to understand how this pathway relays information and controls gene expression to regulate organ size, and its role in mesothelioma and other human cancers. A better understanding of Hippo’s role in organ growth and cancer will allow it to be targeted for therapeutic benefit in human diseases.
Role Of Sympathetic Nervous System In The Development Of Early Organ Damage In Obesity:an Emerging Target For Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$544,534.00
Summary
Young people with obesity often have no signs of cardiovascular disease but their organs, such as the heart, the kidneys and the blood vessels present early evidence of damage that can, in time, progress to confer cardiovascular risk. This study will look at the potential beneficial effect of a drug, by itself or in association with a low calorie diet, in reversing the progression of organ damage in young obese subjects.
Protecting The Endothelial Glycocalyx To Improve Transplant Rates And Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$725,180.00
Summary
A tiny, previously overlooked, structure called the endothelial glycocalyx (EG) is now known to ‘waterproof’ blood vessels. This grant extends our exciting preliminary data in the field of lung transplantation, where we have shown that EG loss is the main cause of a poorly functioning organ, to develop new tests of lung and kidney function, as well as treatments to resuscitate marginal organs outside the body, so improving access to and the safety of transplantation.
Eye Banks, Exports, And Australian Opinion: Exploring National Utility Of Human Corneal Tissue Donation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$111,973.00
Summary
Human corneal tissue donations from the deceased can outstrip the demand of eye tissue from ophthalmologists to perform a corneal transplantation, a surgical procedure to treat blindness. This research will determine the quantity of surplus eye tissue, and community understanding of donation and support for exportation. This will help the sector with decision-making on management of oversupply and potential exporte to other countries in need.