Seizures And Carbon Dioxide – A Study Of Respiratory Acidosis As A Cause For Seizure Termination And Trial Of Carbogen As An Anti-epileptic
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$317,582.00
Summary
Although much is known about epilepsy, the reason a seizure stops is not clear. A rise in the acidity of the blood, mainly due to a rise in carbon dioxide from breathing less deeply, may well contribute. Currently the standard treatments given in hospital to stop seizures are sedatives. Although effective, this sedation can need Intensive Care treatment. We aim to develop a safe, rapid, non-sedating way to treat seizures using a small amount of carbon dioxide in oxygen.
Mitochondrial Damage Following Fetal Hypoxia Or Birth Asphyxia: Using Creatine To Preserve Mitochondrial Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$838,726.00
Summary
There is a need for a therapy that can be given before a mother gives birth to protect the baby should ‘oxygen starvation’ threaten the baby’s brain and other organs such as the heart, kidney, lungs, and the ability to breathe properly. We are suggesting that an increased intake of creatine is a very effective treatment against this threat, and its proven safety and ease of use recommends it for wide application, particularly in countries where the access to medical resources is poor.
Systems Approaches To Understanding The Assembly Of Mitochondrial Machines
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,005.00
Summary
Mitochondria produce the energy for our bodies. Defects in this process cause mitochondrial disease, which affects at least 1/5000 people. Diagnosis is often inconclusive as we do not understand the function of many proteins important in mitochondrial energy production. State of the art CRISPR gene-editing tools will be coupled with advanced proteomics techniques to model different types of mitochondrial disease and identify the functions of new candidate disease genes.
Functional Genomic Analyses Of Mitochondrial Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$577,001.00
Summary
Mitochondria produce most of the energy required by our bodies. Mutations in genes that make mitochondrial proteins cause mitochondrial dysfunction and lead to neurodegenerative and muscular diseases. We will identify mutations in mitochondrial genes in members of different Bulgarian and Gypsy families and discovery the mechanisms by which the mutations lead to disease.
Apoptosis Inducing Factor And The Progression Of Diabetic Nephropathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,756.00
Summary
There has been a dramatic increase in the rates of diabetic kidney disease. It now affects more than 400,000 Australians and places these individuals at an extremely high risk of death from a heart attack or stroke. This research is focusing on the powerstations of the cell, the mitochondria, which are responsible for energy production from the food we eat. We aim to investigate new novel targets to prevent the dysfunction of these power stations, with a view to discovering a new therapy for dia ....There has been a dramatic increase in the rates of diabetic kidney disease. It now affects more than 400,000 Australians and places these individuals at an extremely high risk of death from a heart attack or stroke. This research is focusing on the powerstations of the cell, the mitochondria, which are responsible for energy production from the food we eat. We aim to investigate new novel targets to prevent the dysfunction of these power stations, with a view to discovering a new therapy for diabetic kidney disease.Read moreRead less
Can Malaria Parastie Resistance To An Important Drug Spread?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$689,168.00
Summary
Malaria is a major global health issue. Drugs are a key weapon against the disease, but resistance eventually emerges and spreads, rendering a succession of drugs useless. We have preliminary evidence that resistance to a safe and cheap drug is unable to spread. We believe drug resistant parasites die when attempting to transmit from person to person via the mosquito vector. Inability to spread resistance would make this drug extremely valuable in the fight against malaria.
Assembly And Misassembly Of Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Complex I
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,520.00
Summary
Mitochondria are the powerhouses in our cells. They burn the carbon fuels we eat and store the energy by making ATP that is used for functions such as muscle contraction and triggering of nerves. Mitochondrial Complex I is a molecular motor that helps to make ATP. “Mitochondrial disease” is often seen when Complex I is not built properly and this results in early childhood death. In this project we will study how Complex I is built and how the mitochondria responds to assembly problems.
Regulation Of RNA Processing In The Mitochondrial Disease MELAS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,977.00
Summary
Mitochondria are microscopic, energy producing machines that are found in all human cells. Mitochondria contain a small set of genes that must work properly to make the energy our bodies require for health. Defects in the expression of mitochondrial genes cause debilitating diseases for which there are currently no cures. We have developed a new set of technologies that will be applied to understand how these mutations cause disease and provide insights into possible treatments.
Personalised Medicine For Mitochondrial Disorders: Targeting Pathogenic Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,770,213.00
Summary
Mitochondria are our cellular power plants that burn sugars, fats and proteins to generate energy. Each week in Australia a child is born with a mitochondrial disorder. Many of these children die in the first years of life and most suffer from severe disease, particularly affecting their brain and/or heart. We will use stem cell models to better understand the basic biology of these disorders and to develop targeted therapies to improve the outcomes for affected patients.
From Pathogenesis To Therapeutics: Targeting Two Signalling Pathways As A Therapeutic Strategy To Treat Preeclampsia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$499,048.00
Summary
Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy that claims the lives of thousands of mothers and babies each year. There is no efficacious medical treatment besides delivery of the baby and placenta. Our lack of therapeutics is largely a result of our poor understanding of the disease. In this application we plan to thoroughly characterise two pathways we believe responsible for preeclampsia, effectively identifying many points at which new therapies could be targeted.