Antitumour Efficacy Of TRAIL: An Immunotherapeutic Approach For The Treatment Of Skeletal Malignancies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,034.00
Summary
The most serious clinical problem with patients with solid tumours is metastasis to bone, which leads to complications that can cause erosion of the patient's quality of life, and eventually death. TRAIL is a new cancer therapeutic that selectively kills cancer cells while sparing normal cells. The use of TRAIL agonistic antibodies that do not bind OPG and have increased serum half life offers an exciting approach for the treatment of skeletal malignancies that is non toxic and safe.
The Scientific Basis For The Integration Of Surgery And Immunotherapy For Lung Malignancies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$516,394.00
Summary
The work in this grant focuses on the effects of cancer surgery (tumor resection and removal of lymph nodes) on the anti-cancer immune response. It also examines whether delivery of agents into the residual tumour bed following surgery can effectively boost the effects of surgery on the immune system. The results obtained will help guide the rational design of future combination surgery-immunotherapy treatment regimens.
High Spatial Resolution Dosimetry For Radioactive Plaques Used For Radiotherapy Of Eye Lesions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$357,294.00
Summary
Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the commonest ocular malignancies in adults. While plaque brachytherapy has delivered advances in ocular cancer management, significant challenges remain. These include post-treatment vision loss (due to over irradiation of vital structures, e.g. optic nerve), treatment failure (~10%) and an inability to treat large tumours (>8mm thick). This project aims to address these challenges through rigorous quality assurance and enhanced dosimetry planning.
CHARACTERISATION AND ANTIBODY-MEDIATED TARGETING OF A NOVEL SPECIFIC MARKER FOR T CELL ALL/LYMPHOBLASTIC LYMPHOMA
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$586,146.00
Summary
Improvements in treatment have seen some types of leukaemia (a cancer of white blood cells) being curable in up to 90% of patients with the disease; however, other types of leukaemia do not respond to these drugs and new approaches are needed. We have discovered that some leukaemia cells express a unique protein not made by any other cell type. This project will analyse how this aberrant protein is made and how this process contributes to the development of leukaemia. Also, since this protein is ....Improvements in treatment have seen some types of leukaemia (a cancer of white blood cells) being curable in up to 90% of patients with the disease; however, other types of leukaemia do not respond to these drugs and new approaches are needed. We have discovered that some leukaemia cells express a unique protein not made by any other cell type. This project will analyse how this aberrant protein is made and how this process contributes to the development of leukaemia. Also, since this protein is unique to the leukaemia cells, it offers the opportunity to develop magic bullets able to target specifically to the leukaemia cells and to kill them. This project aims to make one such drug and to conduct preliminary testing.Read moreRead less
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NOVEL LEUKEMIA-INDUCING GENE MLF1
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$393,750.00
Summary
All of the circulating blood cells (including red cells and white cells) arise from haemopoietic stem cells found in the adult bone marrow. Stem cells gradually develop into one cell type. Once they have started down a particular pathway, they no longer generate cells of another pathway (e.g. once a stem cell begins to develop into red blood cells, they do not change into white cells). However, there are a few examples of mature cells that have changed pathways. We generated a red blood cell lin ....All of the circulating blood cells (including red cells and white cells) arise from haemopoietic stem cells found in the adult bone marrow. Stem cells gradually develop into one cell type. Once they have started down a particular pathway, they no longer generate cells of another pathway (e.g. once a stem cell begins to develop into red blood cells, they do not change into white cells). However, there are a few examples of mature cells that have changed pathways. We generated a red blood cell line, which has on occasions changed into macrophages (white blood cells) when grown under stressful conditions. Using these cells, we identified a gene, HLS7, which was involved in the change to macrophages. An American group has independently shown this gene can cause leukemia (blood cancer). We have shown HLS7 has dramatic effects on normal blood development and, together with its effect on leukemias, demonstrates its importance to the blood system. Through our studies on how HLS7 works, we have identified another gene, Madm, which may be an important regulator of HLS7. We plan to investigate the normal function of HLS7, how it interacts with Madm and how it causes leukemias. Analysis of these genes will further our knowledge in this field of blood cell development and cancer formation.Read moreRead less
Establishing STARS As A Therapeutic Target To Reduce Muscle Wasting And Improve Muscle Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$446,189.00
Summary
Muscle wasting occurs rapidly with disuse after injuries occurring at work, during sport, with chronic disease and in road accidents. It is also a consequence of ageing. Muscle wasting and reduced muscle function places considerable financial strain on our health care system. We aim to use gene therapy and pharmacological interventions to increase the levels of a protein called STARS. We hypothesize that STARS will reduce disuse-induced muscle wasting, increase recovery and improve function.
Using Gene Delivery Technologies To Define Novel Mechanisms Of Skeletal Muscle Adaptation, And Develop Muscle-directed Interventions For Frailty And Serious Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$631,370.00
Summary
The focus of my research is to investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying regulation of skeletal muscle size and function in health and disease. By defining these processes we can establish the events contributing to muscle wasting and frailty commonly associated with serious illness and advancing age, and develop interventions to prevent/overcome this important contributor to poor health prospects and reduced survival.
I am a bioinformatician conducting methodological research in statistical functional genomics. I use designed experiments involving highthroughput gene expression technologies to make inferences about gene function and to make discoveries of medical signi
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase Signalling And Skeletal Muscle Mass.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,598.00
Summary
Maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is essential for human health and locomotion. In ageing and cancer, loss of muscle mass leads to severe weakness and immobilization causing morbidity and mortality. This grant aims to characterise a novel gene that when deleted in mice leads to significant muscle damage. The molecular pathways within the cell that lead to the observed muscle damage will be investigated and this may provide insights into the pathways that control muscle damage and its regenerat ....Maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is essential for human health and locomotion. In ageing and cancer, loss of muscle mass leads to severe weakness and immobilization causing morbidity and mortality. This grant aims to characterise a novel gene that when deleted in mice leads to significant muscle damage. The molecular pathways within the cell that lead to the observed muscle damage will be investigated and this may provide insights into the pathways that control muscle damage and its regenerationRead moreRead less