ASCAPE: Audio App-delivered Screening For Cognition And Age-related Health In Older Prisoners
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$844,050.00
Summary
This study aims to develop and test a new, innovative health screening app to examine the health and functioning of older, ageing prisoners in Australia. The app will deliver a range of health and functioning measures via audio, minimising the need for literacy skills and for staff supervision during testing. It is hoped that this app will be easily implemented in prisons in future, to enable better health management for this growing cohort with complex health needs.
An Investigation Of The Effects Of Higher Plasma Glucose In The Normal Range On Cerebral Health.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$727,524.00
Summary
Until recently it has been assumed that variation in blood sugar levels within the normal range in non-diabetics is innocuous. Recent findings from our team suggest that high normal sugar levels present risks to brain and cognitive health. This project will investigate in detail the extent to which higher sugar levels in healthy individuals living in the community are associated with brain changes over time, and whether these changes are associated with cognitive decline in middle- and old-age.
Regulation Of The Beta-secretase (BACE1) By Glycosaminoglycans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,212.00
Summary
Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. Because of the prolonged institutionalisation of patients, it is a major health care burden. This project aims to develop novel drugs which can treat Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting production of the protein which causes the neurodegeneration.
Mechanisms For Ageing Changes In The Hepatic Sinusoid
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$413,750.00
Summary
We recently discovered changes in the blood vessels of the liver that occur with old age that we have called pseudocapillarisation. These changes include thickening of the liver sinusoidal endothelium, deposition of basal lamina and collagen, and marked loss of specialized pores within the endothelium called fenestrations. These changes have profound effects on the transfer of many substrates including toxins, drugs, oxygen, hormones and lipids from the blood into the liver and thus may explain ....We recently discovered changes in the blood vessels of the liver that occur with old age that we have called pseudocapillarisation. These changes include thickening of the liver sinusoidal endothelium, deposition of basal lamina and collagen, and marked loss of specialized pores within the endothelium called fenestrations. These changes have profound effects on the transfer of many substrates including toxins, drugs, oxygen, hormones and lipids from the blood into the liver and thus may explain in part the fact that old age is the major risk factor for many diseases and adverse drug reactions. To further understand the mechanisms for these important ageing liver changes, we are proposing several studies. First, the effects of caloric restriction on the liver blood vessels will be studied because caloric restriction delays the primary ageing process. Second we will study the effects of ageing on F-actin, ATP, caveolin-1 and VEGF because these mechanisms have established roles in regulating the structure and function of the liver blood vessels and in particular their fenestrations. Finally we will determine whether VEGF can reverse the ageing changes in the liver blood vessels and stimulate the formation of new fenestrations within these blood vessels. Our research provides one mechanism for the inexorable association between old age and susceptibility to disease - based on primary ageing changes in the liver. As well as increasing our understanding of the cellular changes for ageing and the basic mechanisms involved in the regulation of the liver endothelial cells and their fenestrations, this proposed research will provide a foundation for the development of therapeutic interventions for the prevention and treatment of some age-related disorders.Read moreRead less
Successful Ageing In Older Men – Thriving Not Just Surviving In The Health In Men Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$628,810.00
Summary
Despite “Ageing well, ageing productively” being listed as a research priority, we still do not know what factors increase the ability for people to live a healthy old age, particularly as they enter their older years. Studies suggest that factors in late life have quite different effects on both survival and the major causes of illness. This application will use a large group of older men who have already been followed for 15 years to determine what increases the chance of successful ageing.
The Receptor-associated Protein (RAP) As A Molecular Chaperone For The Amyloid Protein (Abeta) Of Alzheimers Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$402,403.00
Summary
Our research will examine the role of a protein known as the receptor-associated protein (RAP) in Alzheimer's disease. We will determine whether the protein contributes to the progression of Alzheimer's disease and we will examine the possiblity that that RAP may be used as a drug to treat the disease. The project could potentially have direct benefit for patients by leading to an effective treatment for dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Dissecting Brain Network Ageing Using Whole Brain Imaging
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$692,964.00
Summary
In this proposal, we will make the first attempt to map the whole brain activity change during ageing using a series of state-of-the-art techniques. We will also identify genetic and pharmacological interventions that improve brain network function during ageing. Outcomes from this research will provide an unprecedented understanding of functional ageing within the brain and identify therapeutic interventions to prevent this process.
The Role Of Central Haemodynamics In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-related Brain Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$899,704.00
Summary
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is associated with stiffening of major blood vessels which may allow the transmission of harmful pressure to the small vessels of the brain. This may in turn be responsible for damage to brain cells and a greater risk of dementia. This study will use state-of-the art techniques to test this theory. If true, it may open opportunities to reduce the risk of brain disease in diabetes by using therapies to reduce arterial stiffening.
A Population-based Cohort Study Of Brain Ageing - Rates Of Brain Structural Change, Functional Effects, And Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,323,361.00
Summary
This study will provide unique longitudinal Australian data on the effects and causes of brain aging in a population-based sample of older people. The results may assist in preventing dementia and falls, major public health problems in older Australians.
Relaxin Therapy Reverses Large Artery Remodelling And Stiffening In Aged And Hypertensive Models
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$444,973.00
Summary
Hypertension and/or ageing result in morphological changes in large arteries with increased stiffness, which impacts negatively to cardiac function and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Currently there is no drug that can specifically and rapidly reverse the changes in large arteries. We will study a peptide hormone relaxin as a promising candidate drug in this setting. Our recent study strongly indicate the effectiveness of relaxin in softening stiffened large arteries.