THE EFFECT OF STRESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT ON DISEASE PROGRESSION IN MESIAL TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$578,201.00
Summary
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults, is a progressive neurodegenerative condition for which there is currently no effective disease modifying treatment. This proposal will explore whether co-morbid stress accelerates disease progression in MTLE, and whether targeting stress pathways by medical and environmental manipulations can mitigate against this.
The Phenomenology And Treatment Of Emotion Dysregulation In Traumatized Refugees
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$242,631.00
Summary
Refugee mental health is a crucial public health concern in Australia. Difficulty regulating emotions has been strongly linked to psychological disorders after trauma, however no research has studied this in refugees. This research program uses experimental methods to test a model of emotion dysregulation in refugees, and evaluates the impact of a treatment designed to improve emotion regulation and general mental health in refugees.
Epigenetic Signatures Of Abnormal Adult Neurogenesis In Rett Syndrome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$869,332.00
Summary
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental condition arising in early childhood. In Australia, RTT affects an estimated 1/8500 females. The vast majority of RTT patients carry a single mutation in the gene MeCP2. Recent advances in genetic engineering may allow MeCP2 mutations to be corrected in patients. This study will assess whether other molecular factors are involved in the RTT phenotype in patient neurons, and whether these factors are likely to be corrected by MeCP2 gene therapy.
MicroRNA serves as critical factors in diverse biological events. However, it remains poorly understood how microRNAs contribute to the regulation of lifespan and age-associated changes, such as alterations in metabolic activity and an increased incidence of disorders. We aim to understand how microRNAs regulate stress response pathways and caloric restriction-mediated lifespan extension using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, an excellent model organism for ageing biology.
AGE-RELATED IMPAIRMENT OF AUTOREGULATION: A MODIFIABLE RISK FACTOR FOR GLAUCOMA
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$414,982.00
Summary
The prevalence and incidence of glaucoma increase dramatically with age. An impaired capacity to buffer against physiological pressure fluctuations in the eye with aging may play a key role in the development of glaucoma. This project will use non-invasive imaging to determine if impaired autoregulation increases the risk of developing glaucoma. It will determine if this age-related decline in autoregulation can be restored and in this way provide protection against glaucoma.
Does Obesity Have The Characteristics Of Addiction?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,832.00
Summary
The number of overweight or obese people in Australia has increased dramatically in recent years, increasing disease risk. The brain responds to palatable food in ways similar to the response to drugs of addiction, and this may explain why people find it hard to resist palatable food. Our work will explore whether obesity in rats has the characteristics of addiction by examining bingeing, craving, withdrawal and brain circuits in animals chronically exposed to palatable food.
Developmental Differences In The Role Of The Medial Prefrontal Cortex In Fear Regulation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,481.00
Summary
This project explores the neural circuitry involved in fear expression early in life, and how early life experiences can affect this circuitry. A better understanding of the neural circuitry underlying fear regulation across development is essential given that the majority of anxiety disorders first appear in childhood or early adolescence.
A New Therapeutic Target For Stress-related Relapse
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$685,266.00
Summary
Relapse and hazardous drinking represent the most difficult clinical problems in treating patients with alcohol use disorders. We have identified a novel system in the brain for the regulation of stress-induced relapse. Successful completion of this project will indicate improved pharmacotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse. Given the scale and costs of substance abuse disorders, improved therapeutic approaches will have immediate and sustained impact.
Motivational drive and reward are survival processes that underpin the maintenance of homeostasis. In humans, dysregulation of these brain circuits manifests in disorders such as depression and addictions. Our projects is focused on a key subgroup of neurons in the hypothalamus that modulates reward and motivation. We aim to understand how potent reward experience (e.g. drugs) or stress modifies these circuits and to identify potential entry points for therapeutic interventions.
Investigation Into The Intervention Of Arterial Thrombosis And Atherosclerosis Using Shear Sensitive Nanoparticle Drug Delivery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,601.00
Summary
In this project we aim to provide a targeted therapy that inhibits atherosclerosis, in-stent restenosis and thrombosis; pathologies characterized by high shear stress due to a reduction in the vessel lumen. We will apply microfluidic technology to characterize lipid nano-capsules that are tagged with antibodies against activated platelets or VCAM-1, loaded with anti-platelet or immune suppressive drugs and are prone to rupture specifically under high shear stress conditions.