Diabetes Target Discovery And Drug Development In Mice And Primates
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$705,501.00
Summary
1.7 million Australians have diabetes, only ½ are diagnosed, and the incidence is increasing. Diabetes imposes high economic and social costs in Australia and globally. Diabetes is often not well managed with current therapies, and there is a strong need for new drugs to treat diabetes. This research project will search for new drug targets, to develop better medicines to treat diabetes.
Can Blockade Of Leptin Action In The Brain Reduce Blood Pressure In Obese Mice?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,049.00
Summary
The aim of these studies is to determine if high leptin levels in obese mammals activate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and thereby contribute to pathologically high blood pressure, increased heart rate and diabetes. If so, it may be possible to develop novel therapeutics to acutely improve a patient's metabolic condition, by blocking leptin action. The obese are already insensitive to the anorectic actions of leptin, so blocking leptin would likely have no deleterious consequences.
Understanding How The Brain Senses And Encodes Hunger And Satiety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,477.00
Summary
Obesity is the most important health concern in the world today. Despite all the epidemiology evidence and despite the intervention approaches, obesity and type-2 diabetes continues to rise in Australia and worldwide. Clearly, a greater biological understanding of the mechanisms driving increased calorie intake and decreased calorie expenditure. This fellowship explores the different neural circuits in the brain and how they regulate motivation for food and food consumption
Peripheral Mechanims Of Analgesia In Inflammatory Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$181,018.00
Summary
This proposal will explore for the first time the interaction between the peripheral nervous system and the immune system and the effect on pain. Our preliminary studies highlight the direct interaction between the immune system and the nervous system as having an integral role in the control of pain in inflammation. Indeed these studies emphasis the impact of a compromised immune system on this inflammatory pain.
Does Loss Of Melanocortin Glucose Sensing Contribute To Obesity Induced Diabetes?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$617,531.00
Summary
Diabetes is a failure to properly regulate blood glucose levels. Escalating rates of diabetes are a major health problem. Melanocortin neurons in the brain detect blood sugar levels and usually regulate glucose production and utilization, but in obese animals they do not. We have developed a possible therapeutic, which appears to reverse the glucose insensitivity, and rapidly reduces blood glucose in diabetic mice. This project will determine how melanocortins act to regulate glucose levels
Effects Of Melanocortin Neurons On Systemic Glucose Homeostasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$860,251.00
Summary
There is good evidence that the brain can control blood glucose, but we do not know how this occurs, or why this doesn’t work in diabetes. This grant will use cutting edge mouse genetic technology to determine how the brain controls blood glucose, and what changes in diabetes. This grant will determine how several hormones act through the brain to change glucose levels, and will help develop new strategies to treat high blood glucose.
Reproduction is controlled by the brain through the hormone gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). Leptin from fat acts on the brain to 'inform' GnRH cells of metabolic state; low levels signal lack of energy stores and suppress reproduction. Leptin treatment of lean individuals restores reproductive function, but the mechanism is not clear. Our data implicate the melanocortins as a means of transmitting information on metabolic state to GnRH cells and the project investigates this pathway.