Improving Synthetic Methodology To Prepare Pre-clinical Analogues Of Human Insulin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$457,708.00
Summary
The glucose regulatory hormone, insulin, remains the only treatment for type I diabetes and up to 30% of type II diabetes, both of which are among the world’s fastest growing chronic diseases today. Because insulin, if taken orally, would be broken down quickly, it has usually been given by injection. This project will develop novel chemical methods for the efficient preparation of novel insulin therapeutics with improved stability and oral bioavailability for prolonged treatment of patients.
Dissecting Rapamycin Sensitive And Insensitive Effects Of MTOR
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,183,241.00
Summary
All cells possess machinery that can sense nutrient availability and trigger cell growth and nutrient storage pathways. However, nutrient oversupply is detrimental to health. Recently, it was shown that drugs that inhibit the nutrient sensors have life extending effects. Our laboratory has discovered a novel mechanism by which these drugs might be mediating these beneficial effects that could change the way we think about the beneficial effects of these drugs and their mode of action
Further Development Of The Clinical Potential Of H2 Relaxin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$651,768.00
Summary
The hormone relaxin mediates cardiovascular and kidney changes during pregnancy. These important functions have led to its current use in clinical trials for the treatment of acute heart failure, a condition affecting millions of patients worldwide. However, there is an urgent need for a longer lasting form of relaxin for prolonged treatment of patients. Our studies will focus on understanding the blood breakdown of the peptide to lead to the design of longer lasting relaxin analogues.
Developing Novel Peptide-based Therapeutics And Technologies To Mitigate Fibrosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,161,383.00
Summary
Fibrosis (tissue scarring) is an unmet medical problem that adversely affects both human health and medical devices. It causes organ (e.g. heart, kidney) failure leading to death. Fibrotic encapsulation causes medical device (e.g. surgical mesh) failure. Our team has discovered a peptide, B7-33, that mitigates fibrosis in the short-term. Our IDEAS grant aims to develop long-acting B7-33 therapies and, to employ long-acting B7-33 mimetics in anti-fibrotic compositions for surgical meshes.
The Novel Role Of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase (eEF2K) In Atherosclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$650,531.00
Summary
Atherosclerosis causes build up of cholesterol plaques inside blood vessels that cause heart attacks and strokes. Macrophages are a type of cell that accumulate inside these plaques to make them grow. We work with a molecule called eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K), that controls how cells in the body divide and survive. We are studying how eEF2K controls the macrophage build up in plaque to develop new treatments against atherosclerosis that can stop heart attacks and strokes.
Novel Regulation Of RDNA Transcription By MTOR/S6K Signalling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$393,750.00
Summary
Increased cellular growth requires a number of important processes to occur, the most fundamental of which is protein synthesis. Successful synthesis of proteins requires a large number of efficient ribosomes, the protein synthesis machinery. mTOR is a central cellular signalling molecule that directly regulates growth via modulating the efficiency of the ribosomes. It does this by regulating an enzyme called S6 kinase. Interestingly for long term or sustained increases in the rates of growth an ....Increased cellular growth requires a number of important processes to occur, the most fundamental of which is protein synthesis. Successful synthesis of proteins requires a large number of efficient ribosomes, the protein synthesis machinery. mTOR is a central cellular signalling molecule that directly regulates growth via modulating the efficiency of the ribosomes. It does this by regulating an enzyme called S6 kinase. Interestingly for long term or sustained increases in the rates of growth an increase in the number of ribosomes in addition to an increase efficiency of protein synthesis is required. This proposal will test the hypothesis that the mTOR-S6 kinase signalling pathway regulates protein synthesis both at the level of ribosome efficiency and capacity. This will be extended to determine the mechanism by which such regulation occurs. Furthermore recent studies have demonstrated that S6 kinase is involved in tumor growth. We propose that S6 kinase will contribute to the regulation of both normal or tumor growth at least in part via modulation of the number of ribosomes. Accordingly, S6K is upregulated in a segregated proportion of breast tumors. Outcomes from this project have the potential to provide targets to which specific therapies for particular breast tumors can be developed. Overall this information will also extend our basic knowledge on normal growth regulation.Read moreRead less