ANNEXIN-A1 MIMETICS: A NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACH FOR TARGETING THE CARDIAC COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$815,185.00
Summary
Diabetes affects almost 2 million Australians, creating an increasing heart failure burden. A/Prof Rebecca Ritchie’s team at Baker IDI are interested in the precise role of cardiac inflammation in the progression of cardiomyopathy resulting from diabetes. Using her exciting discovery that a naturally-occurring anti-inflammatory protein is a key regulator of cardiac muscle cell survival and function, A/Prof Ritchie’s team will develop therapies for diabetic cardiomyopathy based on this protein.
Annexin-A1 Agonists Rescue Cardiac Contractile Function After Myocardial Infarction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$621,419.00
Summary
Myocardial infarction (or heart attack, a result of reduced coronary blood flow) and subsequent heart failure are the major cause of death in Western societies; this is expanding to all corners of the globe. New treatments for heart attack are thus essential. We have discovered that the natural hormone annexin-A1 rescues heart muscle function over the short-term, and propose that drugs based on annexin-A1 will prevent cardiac dysfunction of heart muscle up to several weeks after heart attack.
Local Sleep In The Awake Brain: An Underlying Cause Of Neurobehavioural Deficits In Sleep Apnea?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$582,330.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder which significantly impacts daytime functioning leading to excessive sleepiness, and problems with attention and thinking. Currently, the causes for cognitive impairment in OSA (including attentional lapses and performance deficits) are poorly understood. In the awake state, groups of neurons can briefly go “offline” as they do in sleep. These periods of “local sleep” may explain impaired task performance in OSA.
Benefit Of 2D-strain Surveillance In Improving Cardiovascular Outcomes In Cancer Patients Undergoing Cardiotoxic Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,391,979.00
Summary
Cancer survivors are susceptible to heart failure (HF) caused by heart muscle damage from chemotherapy. The current testing for this problem is based on a measure that cannot identify minor changes of cardiac function. Cardiac strain is a sensitive new marker of cardiac function which is predictive of overt dysfunction & HF. This study seeks to identify whether strain can be used to assign treatments that lead to improved cardiac function and are eventually associated with a reduction in HF.
Therapeutic Approaches To Circumvent NO• Resistance In The Type 2 Diabetic Heart And Vasculature
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$563,337.00
Summary
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is Australia’s fastest growing chronic disease, affecting almost 2 million Australians (who face poor cardiovascular health outcomes). We have discovered an exciting new avenue that may potentially more effectively counteract heart and blood vessel disorders in T2D patients in an acute cardiovascular emergency, of substantial clinical importance.
Formyl Peptide Receptor Biased Agonists As Novel Cardioprotection From Myocardial Infarction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$948,291.00
Summary
Heart attack is caused by a blocked heart blood vessel. Current therapy focuses on rapid reopening of the vessel, to allow blood supply to return. However, even if this is successful, affected patients are often left with impaired heart muscle pumping function, ultimately progressing to heart failure. We have discovered an exciting new mechanism to protect heart muscle from injury and preserve its function, and we plan to develop new drugs for heart attack based on this mechanism.
Schizophrenia is a serious and debilitating psychotic illness often characterized by delusions: fixed, false beliefs that preoccupy the patient and affect behaviour, and which are resistant to current drug treatments. This project investigates dysfunctions in belief mechanisms that allow delusions to form and be maintained. This will help clinicians design more effective programs of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis by allowing more focussed interventions to reduce delusions.
Investigating The Mechanisms That Increase Nerve-evoked Vasoconstriction Following Spinal Cord Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,547.00
Summary
People with spinal cord injury not only lose control of their arms and legs but also lose control of their bladder and bowel. They also have poor control of blood pressure and an overfull bladder or bowel can lead to dangerously high blood pressure. In this project, we are investigating how this abnormal high blood pressure is generated. The aim is to develop treatments which target the mechanisms which increase the blood pressure responses elicited by the bladder and bowel.
Screening Evaluation Of The Evolution Of New Heart Failure Extension Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$849,992.00
Summary
Heart failure is a major burden on patients with this condition and on the community. The SCReening Evaluation of the Evolution of New Heart Failure (SCREEN-HF) study is evaluating the use of a blood test to identify individuals with undiagnosed heart failure and abnormal heart function, and those at increased risk of these conditions, so that more people can benefit from currently available therapies for the treatment and prevention of heart failure.
Preclinical Relaxin Therapy To Reverse Cardiac Fibrosis And Gain Functional Benefits
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$724,754.00
Summary
Cardiac fibrosis is a key factor promoting heart disease and onset of complications including arrhythmias and heart failure. There is urgent and unmet need of drugs that can reverse fibrosis. By documenting anti-fibrotic action of a peptide hormone relaxin, CIA and his team will test therapeutic effect of relaxin in heart disease models focusing on fibrosis-reversal and functional gain, particularly arrhythmias. This work would promote development of relaxin as a new cardiovascular drug.