Interaction Of Angiotensin II And PPARg In Aortic Aneurysm Formation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,398.00
Summary
Between 5% to 10% of men and 1% of women over the age of 60 years develop weakening of their main abdominal artery leading to slow dilation of the vessel. If this process continues long term the artery can burst resulting in sudden death. At present the only treatment available for this problem is surgery, either open or minimally invasive. Both these forms of treatment are associated with significant complications and unsuitable for some patients. Thus the development of a drug treatment which ....Between 5% to 10% of men and 1% of women over the age of 60 years develop weakening of their main abdominal artery leading to slow dilation of the vessel. If this process continues long term the artery can burst resulting in sudden death. At present the only treatment available for this problem is surgery, either open or minimally invasive. Both these forms of treatment are associated with significant complications and unsuitable for some patients. Thus the development of a drug treatment which can slow or halt the weakening and dilation of the aorta would have great patient benefits. We have identified an important role for a newly discovered protein in weakening of the abdominal aorta. In this study we investigate the role of a pathway which appears to be fundamental in generating this protein. In particular we will assess the role of drug treatment in blocking this pathway as a basis for medical treatment for artery weakening.Read moreRead less
Role Of Osteoprotegerin In Protecting The Diabetic Aorta From Aneurysm Formation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$299,250.00
Summary
Between 5% and 10% of men over the age of 60 years develop weakening of their main abdominal artery (aorta) leading to slow dilation of the vessel. If this process continues long term the artery can burst resulting in sudden death. At present the only treatment available for this problem is surgery, either open or minimally invasive. Both these forms of treatment are associated with significant complications and unsuitable for some patients. Thus the development of a drug treatment which can slo ....Between 5% and 10% of men over the age of 60 years develop weakening of their main abdominal artery (aorta) leading to slow dilation of the vessel. If this process continues long term the artery can burst resulting in sudden death. At present the only treatment available for this problem is surgery, either open or minimally invasive. Both these forms of treatment are associated with significant complications and unsuitable for some patients. Thus the development of a drug treatment which can slow or halt the weakening and dilation of the aorta would have great patient benefits'. Surprisingly patients with sugar diabetes are less likely to develop this form of artery weakening. This important negative association may form the basis of discovering a new medication to protect arteries from rupture. In this study we investigate the role of a recently discovered protein in protecting the main abdominal artery from weakening in diabetics. This protein is of particular interest for the following reasons: 1. It comes from a group of proteins believed to be important in artery calcium build-up. 2. Artery calcium is common in patients with diabetes who are relatively protected from aortic weakening. 3. It is being used for the treatment of bone weakening, appears to be safe in patients and therefore is a potential therapeutic agent. We believe this work is an important step towards the development of a successful medical treatment for artery weakening.Read moreRead less
Association Between Obesity, TGFb, Thrombospondin And Small Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Progression.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$514,777.00
Summary
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an important cause of mortality in middle aged and elderly Australians. The incidence of AAA continues to increase despite improvements in the medical management of atherosclerosis. We postulate that obesity is important in the progression of AAA. In a community screening study we found that waist-hip ratio was independently associated with AAA. In this project we investigate the mechanisms underlying this association between obesity and AAA.
Angiopoietin-2, Aortic Inflammation And Cardiovascular Events
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$332,161.00
Summary
Based on detailed preliminary data, we plan to investigate the importance of a novel protein (the cytokine angiopoietin-2) in cardiovascular disease. The results of this study will clarify the role of this cytokine in vascular pathology and may provide an important target for novel therapy and-or diagnostic markers for cardiovascular disease progression.
Biomechanics Meets Phenomics: Towards Understanding And Predicting Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Disease Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,324,897.00
Summary
The criterion used to decide whether to operate on an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), based on the maximum diameter, does not take into consideration the rupture risk for a given patient. By combining imaging, computational biomechanics and metabolic phenotyping, we will assess the structural integrity of an AAA and local structural changes of systemic response. These will allow improved differentiation of rupture risk, leading to better outcomes for patients and savings for the health system.
An Investigation Of The Involvement Of Clotting Factors In Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Progression Within A Mouse Model
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$189,401.00
Summary
Early stage weakening of the main abdominal artery is present in ~100,000 Australians and currently has no accepted therapy. Development of drug therapies which limit progression of the weakening process is urgently needed. In this study involvement of the clotting cascade in artery weakening will be investigated. The study have been planned in order to identify new strategies which can be developed as treatments for artery weakening in patients.
Studies Into Myeloperoxidase-Induced Cardiovascular Disease And Its Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$924,596.00
Summary
During cardiovascular disease an inflammatory protein called myeloperoxidase (MPO) becomes abnormally released into the circulating blood and is transported into diseased blood vessels. Our studies show for the first time that increasing circulating levels of MPO promotes both atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm. This project will study how MPO promotes inflammatory artery disease and test new drugs for their ability to inhibit this damaging protein and protect against cardiovascular disease.
Patient-specific Modelling Of Cardiovascular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,065.00
Summary
Cardiovascular disease is undoubtedly the biggest killer in the developed world and accounts for 30% of all deaths in Australia; killing one Australian every twelve minutes. My research group and I, combine medical imaging with biomedical engineering to perform patient-specific modelling. For example, we can predict the likelihood that aneurysm will rupture or the way blood flows through the aorta. My goal is to make these modelling tools accurate and robust enough to be used in the clinic.