Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Of Transcutaneous Immunisation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$190,490.00
Summary
Vaccines are among the most effective medical interventions. The recent discovery that cholera toxin, when applied to the normal skin of humans and laboratory animals, stimulates powerful and protective immune responses to itself, and to other proteins has opened up the possibility of needle-free vaccines in the form of skin patches. How CT brings about this effect is currently unknown. We have discovered that the immune stimulating effect of CT depends upon the production of an immune protein ( ....Vaccines are among the most effective medical interventions. The recent discovery that cholera toxin, when applied to the normal skin of humans and laboratory animals, stimulates powerful and protective immune responses to itself, and to other proteins has opened up the possibility of needle-free vaccines in the form of skin patches. How CT brings about this effect is currently unknown. We have discovered that the immune stimulating effect of CT depends upon the production of an immune protein (cytokine) called tumour necrosis factor (TNF). TNF is known to activate specialised immune cells within the skin (Langerhan's Cells ) and we hypothesise that the interaction beween CT and LC via TNF is the pathway to the potent immune response. In this project we propose to investigate the cells and molecules involved in the immune effects of CT in the skin with a view to the development of new skin based vaccine strategies.Read moreRead less
Development Of A Fibre-optic Flow Sensor To Monitor Blood Platelet Adhesive Function.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$187,550.00
Summary
The ability to accurately diagnose platelet dysfunction is key to the clinical management of many cardiovascular diseases which represent a major cause of mortality in the industrialised world. At present there is no clinically robust instrument that can accurately assess abnormal platelet function under conditions that closely mimic the physiological environment. We aim to develop a sensitive prototype instrument for the clinical assessment of platelet function. We propose to develop this medic ....The ability to accurately diagnose platelet dysfunction is key to the clinical management of many cardiovascular diseases which represent a major cause of mortality in the industrialised world. At present there is no clinically robust instrument that can accurately assess abnormal platelet function under conditions that closely mimic the physiological environment. We aim to develop a sensitive prototype instrument for the clinical assessment of platelet function. We propose to develop this medical device as a relatively cheap and portable point of care instrument that can be marketed internationally.Read moreRead less