Deciphering The Mechanisms Underlying LRP-mediated Axon Guidance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$370,659.00
Summary
Nerve damage can develop post injury or disease and are often very debilitating, slow to heal and cause increased pain. Our work aims to examine a new class of molecules that we show can activate selected fat-receptors on nerve cells to guide the growth of regenerating nerves. We will determine how these receptors function with the aim of developing a novel class of therapeutics directed at healing nerve damage.
Axonal Regeneration And Degeneration: Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$622,655.00
Summary
Understanding how to repair of nerve damage following a traumatic injury, a vascular accident, or a degenerative condition, is essential to develop novel effective treatments. We have identified, in a simple genetic model system, the molecular mechanisms that allow a transected nerve to be repaired by reattachment of its two separated fragments. This 'axonal fusion' process is a highly promising innovative approach that can be exploited to restore the original neuronal circuit.
Understanding Axonal Fusion: An Alternative Mechanism To Repair Injured Axons.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$648,447.00
Summary
Being able to repair an injured nerve by stitching the two damages sections back together is an incredible challenge in neurosurgery, and a highly desired outcome for the surgeon as well as for the patient suffering a spinal cord or peripheral injury. We have discovered molecules that mediate nerve repair by favouring the reconnection of the two separated fragments. We will study how they function, and if they can be applied to repair injured mammalian neurons.
Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Of Vertebrate Brain Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$586,428.00
Summary
The essential steps in forming a normal functioning brain occur during life as an embryo. If these processes go haywire, there can be serious repercussions for life after birth. This project seeks to understand how the brain forms during embryonic stages so that better treatments and procedures can be developed to deal with developmental problems.
Wnt-Ryk Signaling In The Establishment Of Major Axon Tracts In The Embryonic Mouse Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$513,946.00
Summary
The corpus callosum is the major interhemispheric commissure in the human brain, comprising approximately 3 million myelinated fibers which connect homologous regions in the neocortex. To date more than 50 different human congenital syndromes have been described in which the corpus callosum does not form leading to epilepsy and mental retardation. We have identified a new guidance molecule (Ryk) which is crucial for corpus callosum formation. This project aims to dissect that molecular mechanism ....The corpus callosum is the major interhemispheric commissure in the human brain, comprising approximately 3 million myelinated fibers which connect homologous regions in the neocortex. To date more than 50 different human congenital syndromes have been described in which the corpus callosum does not form leading to epilepsy and mental retardation. We have identified a new guidance molecule (Ryk) which is crucial for corpus callosum formation. This project aims to dissect that molecular mechanisms controlling Ryk signaling during corpus callosum development. Our analysis of Ryk function will advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of this important commissure.Read moreRead less