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.
Artificial Synthesis Of The Type III Secretion System Translocon. A New Approach To Vaccine Design
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$668,742.00
Summary
Today hospitals are plagued with bacterial infections that do not respond to antibiotics. The problem exists because although antibiotics are effective at killing bacteria, this paradoxically also helps the drug-resistant bacteria thrive. We will pioneer a completely new approach to vaccine design that allows us to construct a vaccine that protects us from bacterial infection without killing the bacteria. The vaccine should therefore be far less susceptible to drug resistance.
Gene Discovery And Functional Studies To Reveal Mechanisms Underlying Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Disorders.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$381,343.00
Summary
Mitochondrial respiratory chain disorders are a devastating group of disorders, potentially affecting any organ of the body, with no effective therapies currently available. The majority of these disorders have a childhood onset and the genetic basis for most of them is unknown. Identification of the genes responsible for these disorders in specific families would greatly improve the accuracy and usefulness of genetic counselling, and an understanding of their biology may assist the development ....Mitochondrial respiratory chain disorders are a devastating group of disorders, potentially affecting any organ of the body, with no effective therapies currently available. The majority of these disorders have a childhood onset and the genetic basis for most of them is unknown. Identification of the genes responsible for these disorders in specific families would greatly improve the accuracy and usefulness of genetic counselling, and an understanding of their biology may assist the development of effective therapies.Read moreRead less
The Structure And Organization Of The Mitochondrial Genome In Health And Mitochondrial Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$553,646.00
Summary
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and mitochondrial dysfunction have been associated with a wide range of multi-system human diseases, although much remains to be learnt about molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Our goal is to understand how the expression of the mitochondrial DNA is regulated by mtDNA-binding proteins that will allow us to provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial diseases.
Characterization And Inhibition Of Higher-order Assembly Signalling In Toll-like Receptor Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$711,995.00
Summary
The innate immune system is the first line of defence against pathogens. Inhibitors of innate immune pathways can be developed into therapeutic agents against a number of disorders including chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. We have discovered a new mechanisms of signaling by a set of key molecules in these pathways, through formation of large assemblies. We will characterize these assemblies and uncover ways to inhibit their formation.
Uncovering The Molecular Mechanisms Behind Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,967.00
Summary
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (or CMT) is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system, affecting the normal function of the limbs and causing lifelong disabilities. There is currently no cure for CMT. The aim of this research is to develop a new model of CMT, which will allow us to uncover novel information about how the disease develops. This research will provide a better understanding of the disease and therefore provide valuable insight for the future generation of therapeutics.
Molecular And Structural Basis Of Signalling By TIR Domain-containing Adaptors In TLR Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$666,417.00
Summary
Humans first detect the presence of pathogens and respond to them through specific pathways termed innate immune pathways. The proposed research will study proteins that participate in these pathways, in particular their three-dimensional structures and how they interact with each other, to understand how they work together to mount an immune response, and to find ways to modulate this response in infectious diseases as well as chronic inflammatory diseases.
Mitochondria are both the powerhouses and the poison cupboard of our cells. They have evolved from bacteria and still possess the ability to grow and divide. Unregulated mitochondrial division is seen in dying cells and in cells from patients with neurodegenerative diseases. We have identified new molecules involved in mitochondrial division and are investigating how they function in normal and unhealthy cells.
Structural Investigations Of The Bax And Bak Cell Death Apparatus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$275,509.00
Summary
Programmed cell death is a process by which the body keeps rogue cells in check. Cancer cells adapt to avoid this process and thus evade this important defence mechanism. This project seeks to understand the machinery that controls programmed cell death at the molecular level. It will provide the atomic details of how this machinery is regulated and how it functions to induce cell death. These insights will provide new avenues for targeting this machinery for a new generation of cancer therapeut ....Programmed cell death is a process by which the body keeps rogue cells in check. Cancer cells adapt to avoid this process and thus evade this important defence mechanism. This project seeks to understand the machinery that controls programmed cell death at the molecular level. It will provide the atomic details of how this machinery is regulated and how it functions to induce cell death. These insights will provide new avenues for targeting this machinery for a new generation of cancer therapeutics.Read moreRead less
Dissecting The Molecular Basis Of Actin Filament Disassembly In The Malaria Parasite
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,716.00
Summary
Cell movement by the malaria parasites is fundamental to parasite infection and disease. However, whilst core components of the parasite motor driving movement are known, little is understood about their regulation, in particular actin – the dynamic force behind all parasite motility. Here by dissecting the role of actin-depolymerizing-factor-1, an essential parasite actin regulator, we hope to reveal one of the central processes that underlies motility and develop it into a potential drug targe ....Cell movement by the malaria parasites is fundamental to parasite infection and disease. However, whilst core components of the parasite motor driving movement are known, little is understood about their regulation, in particular actin – the dynamic force behind all parasite motility. Here by dissecting the role of actin-depolymerizing-factor-1, an essential parasite actin regulator, we hope to reveal one of the central processes that underlies motility and develop it into a potential drug target.Read moreRead less