Dissecting the physiology of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells to develop vaccine candidates for respiratory disease. The project aims to gain an understanding of how a type of adult stem cell inhibits immune responses that cause asthma. The project will produce new stem cell products and facilitate the design of a vaccine for asthma and other respiratory diseases, which would greatly reduce the burden of such conditions.
Novel technology platform for gene delivery into intact cells. Delivery of DNA to cells is a crucial but highly inefficient process. This project will develop a way to manipulate the genetic code of cells efficiently and to easily generate stem cells from normal adult cells, thus avoiding controversial embryonic harvesting. This new technology will have potential benefits for research, agriculture and humans alike.
Intracellular trafficking and function of a recycling receptor which prolongs the serum half-life of novel therapeutic proteins. The life span of recombinant engineered proteins for therapeutic use is a critical factor in their effectiveness, ease of clinical application and cost. This project will exploit interactions with a natural receptor, which prolongs the lifespan of serum proteins, to enhance survival of therapeutic engineered proteins.