Does The Complement System Contribute To Neuropathic Pain?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$262,958.00
Summary
Nerve injury often results in increased sensitivity to painful stimuli and the perception of innocuous stimuli as painful; it may also result in spontaneous pain. These disorders of pain sensation due to nerve injury are common, debilitating and difficult to treat. They are symptoms of neuropathic pain. Pain is normally signalled to the brain by sensory nerve cells called nociceptors. Following nerve injury, nociceptors are sensitised by chemicals released by inflammatory cells. This contributes ....Nerve injury often results in increased sensitivity to painful stimuli and the perception of innocuous stimuli as painful; it may also result in spontaneous pain. These disorders of pain sensation due to nerve injury are common, debilitating and difficult to treat. They are symptoms of neuropathic pain. Pain is normally signalled to the brain by sensory nerve cells called nociceptors. Following nerve injury, nociceptors are sensitised by chemicals released by inflammatory cells. This contributes to neuropathic pain. We have evidence that inflammatory responses play a key role in initiating neuropathic pain. Other evidence suggests that the immune system contributes to neurological diseases and accompanying pain (e.g. Guillain-Barr syndrome and multiple sclerosis). We plan to test the idea that a component of the immune system known as the complement pathway contributes to the development of neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury. The outcome of this work will be a better understanding of the way in which nerve injury leads to chronic disorders of pain, including increased sensitivity to painful stimuli. This will lead in turn to the development of more effective treatments for neuropathic pain.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Role Of Regulatory T Cells In Chronic Pain Following Nerve Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$587,046.00
Summary
Neuropathic pain is a debilitating condition of chronic pain that develops after damage to the nervous system, and lacks an effective treatment. This project focuses on the novel hypothesis that the immunosupressive regulatory T cells and their mediators play a critical role in controlling neuroinflammation and pain hypersensitivity following peripheral nerve injury. This study promises to enhance our understanding of the neuroimmune activation in neuropathic pain and offers novel approaches for ....Neuropathic pain is a debilitating condition of chronic pain that develops after damage to the nervous system, and lacks an effective treatment. This project focuses on the novel hypothesis that the immunosupressive regulatory T cells and their mediators play a critical role in controlling neuroinflammation and pain hypersensitivity following peripheral nerve injury. This study promises to enhance our understanding of the neuroimmune activation in neuropathic pain and offers novel approaches for pain management.Read moreRead less
Deciphering The Mechanisms For Constructing The Olfactory System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,321.00
Summary
The olfactory (smell) system is a unique part of the nervous system; nerve cells are generated throughout life and it can regenerate even after injury. It therefore provides an excellent model for examining the growth, development and maintenance of nerve cells. This project will examine the effects on the organisation of the olfactory system when some guidance signals are altered. Information we obtain about how this system develops and regenerates may be useful in treating brain disorders and ....The olfactory (smell) system is a unique part of the nervous system; nerve cells are generated throughout life and it can regenerate even after injury. It therefore provides an excellent model for examining the growth, development and maintenance of nerve cells. This project will examine the effects on the organisation of the olfactory system when some guidance signals are altered. Information we obtain about how this system develops and regenerates may be useful in treating brain disorders and spinal injuries The results of these experiments will provide important information on the the initial growth and targeting of these nerve cells which may have implications for regeneration of these as well as other nerve cells.Read moreRead less
Nanoparticle Based Neurotrophin Delivery To Promote Directed Neurite Growth And Auditory Nerve Rescue Following Deafness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$506,724.00
Summary
The cochlear implant provides hearing information to the severe-profoundly deaf by electrically stimulating the auditory nerves of the inner ear. Deafness causes these auditory nerves to gradually degenerate leaving fewer nerves for the cochlear implant to stimulate. We propose to reverse this neural degeneration by delivering therapeutic drugs to the inner ear using tiny nanoparticles. This novel technology is expected to have application in other areas of neural degenerative disease.
Glaucoma is a progressive, poorly understood blinding disease with limited treatment options. It is characterised by the death of the nerve cells in the eye whose fibres form the optic nerve. Results obtained in the current proposal will lead to a better understanding of key features of the early stages of the disease and, additionally, will explore the potential of a novel therapeutic approach based on regeneration of damaged nerve fibres within the optic nerve.
The Role Of Adipokines In Modulation Of Gastric Vagal Afferent Satiety Signals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$624,535.00
Summary
When we feel full after a meal it is the result of a variety of different nerve signals from the gut in response to distension of the stomach and specific nutrients. These signals are disordered in obesity and may be influenced by factors released from fat stores in the body. The aim of this project is to determine how these factors interact with gastric nerve satiety signals and thus identify targets for the pharmacological treatment of obesity.
Peripheral and central mechanisms of sensory coding and integration. The research described in this proposal seeks to provide generic answers to fundamental questions about sensory processes, the nature of perceptual experience, and how these are subserved by the nervous system. The study of inter-sensory interactions in perception has the potential to be incorporated into the development of virtual reality-type computer-based technologies. The neurophysiology research will provide basic informa ....Peripheral and central mechanisms of sensory coding and integration. The research described in this proposal seeks to provide generic answers to fundamental questions about sensory processes, the nature of perceptual experience, and how these are subserved by the nervous system. The study of inter-sensory interactions in perception has the potential to be incorporated into the development of virtual reality-type computer-based technologies. The neurophysiology research will provide basic information that has the potential to deepen our understanding, and even enhance possible treatment, of neurological conditions that involve sensory systems.Read moreRead less
Circadian Control Of Peripheral Gastric Satiety Signals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$701,010.00
Summary
When we feel full after a meal it is the result of a variety of different nerve signals from the gut in response to distension of the stomach and specific nutrients. These signals exhibit circadian variations. The aim of this project is to determine circadian control of gastric nerve satiety signals and to determine how this is affected by obesity and what happens when you disrupt circadian rhythm. This will ultimately identify targets and treatment regimes for the pharmacological treatment of o ....When we feel full after a meal it is the result of a variety of different nerve signals from the gut in response to distension of the stomach and specific nutrients. These signals exhibit circadian variations. The aim of this project is to determine circadian control of gastric nerve satiety signals and to determine how this is affected by obesity and what happens when you disrupt circadian rhythm. This will ultimately identify targets and treatment regimes for the pharmacological treatment of obesity.Read moreRead less
Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide t ....Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide targets and/or concepts for the pharmacotherapy of obesity.Read moreRead less
Central pathways regulating visceral pain. This project aims to investigate the neural pathways within the spinal cord and brain processing colorectal pain perception. The project aims to identify the spinal cord neurons relaying colorectal signalling into the brain and the influence of descending modulation from the brainstem upon these pathways. The outcomes will greatly benefit fundamental understanding of the central pathways processing visceral pain.