Exploring The Function Of Breast Cancer-Associated Variants In Long Non-Coding RNAs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$501,585.00
Summary
Recent studies have identified regions within the human genome in which DNA sequence variations are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Several of these regions do not contain any known protein coding genes, suggesting that non-protein coding genes could be responsible for the associated risk. The aim of this proposal is to identify and characterise these non-coding genes. Understanding how sequences variations in these novel genes contribute to breast cancer will provide novel a ....Recent studies have identified regions within the human genome in which DNA sequence variations are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Several of these regions do not contain any known protein coding genes, suggesting that non-protein coding genes could be responsible for the associated risk. The aim of this proposal is to identify and characterise these non-coding genes. Understanding how sequences variations in these novel genes contribute to breast cancer will provide novel avenues for therapy.Read moreRead less
Translation Of Glaucoma Blindness Genes To Improve Clinical Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$856,795.00
Summary
Glaucoma is a common cause of irreversible blindness. It is currently difficult to predict which patients with the earliest signs of glaucoma will develop blinding stages of the disease. This study will investigate how genes and eye measurements can be used to predict the risk of developing severe glaucoma in people with early signs of disease. This will ensure that high risk individuals can access treatment early, while those at low risk can be spared unnecessary treatment and seen less often.
Identifying Novel Long-noncoding RNAs Involved In The Development Of Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$785,204.00
Summary
Recent studies have identified regions within the human genome in which DNA sequence variations are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The aim of this proposal is to identify and characterise these non-coding genes that are modulate breast cancer risk. Understanding how sequences variations that alter these novel genes contribute to breast cancer will provide novel avenues for therapy.
Activation Of TERT Gene Expression In Breast Carcinogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$693,440.00
Summary
A key step in the development of most cancers is the switching on of an enzyme, telomerase, that allows cancer cells to keep growing without limit. We will study the molecular details of this step using new techniques for functional analyses of the genome in human breast cells grown in the laboratory. Blocking telomerase has great potential for cancer treatment, so analysing how this enzyme gets switched on may identify new strategies for achieving this for breast cancer - and other cancers.
Do Breast Cancer Risk Factors Differ According To Underlying Genetic Susceptibility? A Pooled Analysis Of Prospective Studies From The NCI Cancer Cohort Consortium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,581.00
Summary
We propose to use data from 23 international prospective cohort studies in the Cancer Cohort Consortium organised by the US National Cancer Institute to evaluate gene environment interactions for women who are at increased genetic risk of breast cancer. Our ultimate goal is to enhance the performance of clinical prediction tools and to develop targeted evidence-based strategies to mitigate the high absolute risk of breast cancer for women at increased genetic risk of the disease.
Genome-wide Association Studies Of Biomedical Traits And Endophenotypes For Complex Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$295,804.00
Summary
The burden of common complex diseases, such as cardiovascular disease is substantial to the health care system. These diseases are caused by genes and environments as well as their interactions. The proposed project will identify genes affecting the susceptibility of individuals to complex diseases. Discovery of such genes will be important for their diagnosis, prevention and treatment and may serve as an important resource for future personalized medicine.
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world affecting approximately 70 million people. Glaucoma can occur at any age but the commonest type occurs in middle to old age. The disease has a genetic basis and can be inherited. As a result we have been studying the genetics of the disease in two large families from Tasmania. We hope to identify the genes involved in disease causation using a number of genetic techniques. Once mutations in a disease gene have been identified from af ....Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world affecting approximately 70 million people. Glaucoma can occur at any age but the commonest type occurs in middle to old age. The disease has a genetic basis and can be inherited. As a result we have been studying the genetics of the disease in two large families from Tasmania. We hope to identify the genes involved in disease causation using a number of genetic techniques. Once mutations in a disease gene have been identified from affected individuals we will then be in a position to look for mutations in other family members and identify those individuals at risk of developing disease. Improvements in our understanding of how these genes are involved in disease causation will allow us to offer diagnostic testing to the wider community and develop better therapeutic interventions for treatment.Read moreRead less
Identifying Target Genes For Novel Anti-epileptic Therapies In The Mouse
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,802.00
Summary
Epilepsy is a disease which affects 2-4% of the population. There are a wide range of drugs available to treat the condition but there is consistently 30-40% of patients who do not respond well to any of these drugs and who continue to have seizures. The reason that there are no drugs available for these people is that most of the drugs available have been designed along the same principles. A new set of principles is needed to develop new drugs which will be able to treat those people not respo ....Epilepsy is a disease which affects 2-4% of the population. There are a wide range of drugs available to treat the condition but there is consistently 30-40% of patients who do not respond well to any of these drugs and who continue to have seizures. The reason that there are no drugs available for these people is that most of the drugs available have been designed along the same principles. A new set of principles is needed to develop new drugs which will be able to treat those people not responding to current therapy. This project is designed to identify new biologic pathways which may be interrupted with drugs to prevent seizures in people with epilepsy. This project uses a procedure to induce mutations into genes in mice and then screens for mice which do not seize when challenged with a drug which generates seizures in mice. Genetic studies will identify the mutated genes and these will be used as potential targets for new therapies or will identify new biological pathway which should expand the use of future anti-epileptic drugs.Read moreRead less
Estimation of non-additive genetic variance for complex traits using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphyisms and sequence data. Finding genes for traits of importance in agriculture, ecology and human health depends on understanding the genetic basis of these traits. This project will investigate whether variation in traits in humans, cattle and wild sheep are influenced by gene-gene interactions.
The genetic architecture and evolution of quantitative traits. Most important traits are controlled by many genes and by the environment, however there is little knowledge of how many genes are involved in these complex traits and what their effects are. This project will describe the number of genes and their effects for complex traits in humans and livestock and explain how these genes evolve.