Antioxidant Enzymes Counter Reactive Oxygen Species From Steroidogenic Cytochrome P450 Enzymes In The Ovary To Limit Aneuploidy Of Embryos
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$536,978.00
Summary
Many birth defects are due to damage sustained by the eggs before ovulation. Aging allows more damage, hence the advice to have babies earlier in life. However, we believe we have identified a source of damage that happens during late development of the follicle in the weeks before ovulation. Proving this will enable us define when an egg is most at risk of damage and to devise strategies to lower the risk.
Population Dynamics Of Tissue-specific Effector And Regulatory CD4+ T Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,250.00
Summary
Survival of white blood cells in the body is an active process and is important for the maintainence of a T cell population which can recognise a wide variety of foreign antigens. At present the fate of T lymphocytes which recognise self antigens is unclear. Knowledge of the survival kinetics of self-reactive T lymphocytes and the mechanism by which they are regulated in the normal individual is crucial to be able to control the development of various diseases, including autoimmune diseases. Fro ....Survival of white blood cells in the body is an active process and is important for the maintainence of a T cell population which can recognise a wide variety of foreign antigens. At present the fate of T lymphocytes which recognise self antigens is unclear. Knowledge of the survival kinetics of self-reactive T lymphocytes and the mechanism by which they are regulated in the normal individual is crucial to be able to control the development of various diseases, including autoimmune diseases. From our previous studies of autoimmune gastritis we have generated cell lines of lymphocytes that recognise stomach-specific antigens and with these unique reagents we will perform experiments to determine the fate of these self-reactive T cells in a normal individual. Also we will determine the impact of different amounts of the tissue antigens on the survival and activation of self-reactive T cells, and finally how a special class of lymphocytes, know as regulatory lymphocytes, act in vivo to control the activity of self-reactive T cells. We will use not only classical immunological approaches to address these issues but also state of the art imaging, to visualise the nature of the cell interactions in living tissues. The information arising from this work will underpin strategies to selectively turn off self-reactive lymphocytes that cause disease, will form the basis of clinical development of cell based therapies to treat autoimmune diseases, and the imaging technologies developed in this grant will have wide applicability to the study of a range of immune responses.Read moreRead less
The Influence Of Gender And Steroid Hormones On Cerebrovascular NADPH Oxidase During Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,974.00
Summary
My research addresses several major questions regarding the regulation of brain blood flow and mechanisms that may contribute to stroke. There is confusion as to whether giving menopausal women hormone replacement worsens the effect of having a stroke. I propose that female hormones may lower blood flow to the brain after menopause and therefore cause more damage to the brain after stroke.
Complementary Medicines Based On Propolis Produced By Honeybees From Australian
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$285,855.00
Summary
Propolis produced by honeybees is a very complex mixture and its chemical composition varies in relation to its floral source. To produce propolis honey bees collect leaf bud and flowerbud exudates also secretions exuded from wounds in plants. These materials have high antibiotic activity as they have a natural function to protect delicate growing or wounded plant tissue from attack from microorganisms and animals. Honey bees use propolis to sterilize the hive and to protect it against outside i ....Propolis produced by honeybees is a very complex mixture and its chemical composition varies in relation to its floral source. To produce propolis honey bees collect leaf bud and flowerbud exudates also secretions exuded from wounds in plants. These materials have high antibiotic activity as they have a natural function to protect delicate growing or wounded plant tissue from attack from microorganisms and animals. Honey bees use propolis to sterilize the hive and to protect it against outside intruders and infection and to seal cracks in the hive. Consequently, humans have made use of propolis since ancient time for medicinal purposes. Modern research shows that a valuable property of propolis is its immunostimulant activity, now widely used in preventive medicine to boost the immune system. Furthermore, its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are also believed to contribute to its current use in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). As part of research into the medicinal use of propolis produced in Australia, we identified two novel classes of biologically active constituents in Kangaroo Island (KI) propolis, which are for the first time identified to occur in propolis. Despite KI propolis being currently exported to Japan for use as CAM there is no study to determine its chemical composition or to evaluate its biological activities. Therefore we aim to research the KI propolis and evaluate its medicinal properties for use as CAM. Propolis from specific regions with defined floral sources and the identified constituents will be evaluated for their antioxidant property and protective activities against cell damaged after exposed to light source equivalent UV radiation of the sunlight with the aim to establish a defined propolis formula for topical use as CAM to prevent UV-induced skin cancers, known as melanoma, which is prevalent in Australia. This research will add value to a beekeeping product currently exported from KI and provide a health benefit.Read moreRead less
Investigating New Pathways In Acute Kidney Injury That Are Regulated By CD47
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$508,848.00
Summary
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a widespread problem affecting both native and transplanted kidneys. Studies indicate that the incidence has increased more than 200-fold in the last decade, as has mortality. AKI also predisposes to the development of chronic kidney disease. There is no effective therapeutic for treatment or prevention of AKI. This project will investigate new cell signalling pathways regulating AKI with a view to developing these as novel clinical therapies.
Endosomal Reactive Oxygen Species In Tumour Angiogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$633,739.00
Summary
Cancer claims more lives worldwide than any other disease affecting millions of people annually. Tumours grow and spread in the body by acquiring their own blood vessels that provide them with nutrients and oxygen. We have identified a new protein called NADPH oxidase that promotes the development of these new blood vessels in tumours. We propose to test new drugs that block NADPH oxidase activity to stop the development of new blood vessels for the potential treatment of cancer