Identification And Characterisation Of Nessy; A Novel Gene Important For T Cell Differentiation.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,500.00
Summary
This project aims to identify, and understand the function of, a new gene involved in the immune system. The Nessy mouse strain was developed in Prof. Goodnow s Medical Genome Centre at the Australian National University. It has a mutation in an unknown gene which causes a defect in T lymphocytes- white blood cells which are important for fighting infection. This project has three major aims: 1) to identify the gene. 2) to understand the defects in T lymphocytes caused by the gene. 3) to identif ....This project aims to identify, and understand the function of, a new gene involved in the immune system. The Nessy mouse strain was developed in Prof. Goodnow s Medical Genome Centre at the Australian National University. It has a mutation in an unknown gene which causes a defect in T lymphocytes- white blood cells which are important for fighting infection. This project has three major aims: 1) to identify the gene. 2) to understand the defects in T lymphocytes caused by the gene. 3) to identify which other genes interact with the mutant gene. Thus will allow us to understand how the mutant gene causes the T lymphocyte defects. This project will improve our understanding of the development and functioning of T lymphocytes, which play a central role in the immune system. Since the genomes of mice and humans are very similar, it is likely that we will be able to identify a human counterpart to the Nessy gene.Read moreRead less
Detection Of Susceptibility Genes For Multiple Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,073.00
Summary
Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common chronic diseases of the nervous system. It usually starts in young adulthood and continues with episodes of severe disability from which partial recovery leads in many patients to difficulties with walking, balance, speech, bladder control and other neurologic functions. The disease inflicts a severe burden on both patients and the community. There is currently no preventive treatment and therapy is expensive (interferon at $20,000 p.a.) and of limite ....Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common chronic diseases of the nervous system. It usually starts in young adulthood and continues with episodes of severe disability from which partial recovery leads in many patients to difficulties with walking, balance, speech, bladder control and other neurologic functions. The disease inflicts a severe burden on both patients and the community. There is currently no preventive treatment and therapy is expensive (interferon at $20,000 p.a.) and of limited benefit in stopping further damage and of no benefit in reversing existing damage. New treatments will come through a full understanding of how the immune system attacks the brain to cause MS. There is a strong inherited component in MS and the discovery of the genes responsible should speed up the quest to understand the cause of the disease. The proposed studies involve international collaboration co-ordinated from Cambridge University, UK, in which the entire human genome will be screened looking for the MS genes using world s best available technology. Funding of this grant will allow Australia an equal seat at the table for this collaboration involving 17 countries. No individual country can recruit enough patients and hence this international effort is essential. It is expected that the understanding of the cause of MS will lead to new treatments that are effective and with low side effects.Read moreRead less