Biomarkers For The Progression Of Cholangiocarcinoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$507,347.00
Summary
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a form of liver cancer with a devastatingly poor prognosis. In East Asia long term infection with a parasitic worm leads to CCA. Because it is feasible to monitor the development of CCA from the time of infection with the parasite, we propose a biomarker discovery program using CCA samples from liver fluke infected persons in Thailand. This will eventuate in tools for the early diagnosis and early treatment of CCA for those at risk of developing this cancer globally.
AKR1C3 As A Potential Biomarker For Sensitivity Of T-lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia To The Pre-prodrug PR-104
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$327,797.00
Summary
Multiagent chemotherapy is the most effective modality for the treatment of childhood ALL, the most common paediatric malignancy. Despite dramatic improvements in survival over the past 40 years, relapsed ALL remains one of the most common causes of death from disease in children. Therefore, innovative strategies are needed to benefit those children who respond poorly to established therapy. This application will test a novel therapy for a very aggressive subtype of childhood leukaemia.
A significant proportion of Australian children are at health risk due to environmental metal exposure. It is suspected that exposure to metals during the prenatal period can result in permanent impairment. Human studies are, however, limited by lack of biomarkers that accurately measure exposure at specific times of intrauterine development. We are proposing to develop a novel method that utilizes human primary teeth to provide a direct measure of metal exposure during foetal development.
Clonal Evolution In Myelodysplasia And Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Following Azacitidine
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$853,005.00
Summary
The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represent a spectrum of clinically heterogeneous malignancies that remain incurable in the vast majority of patients. Whilst the DNA mutations underpinning the initiation/maintenance of these malignancies are largely known we have little insight into how these mutations alter response to therapy. Using a range of sophisticated cutting edge technologies we will study how these DNA mutations evolve over the course of treatment.
Metabolomics Applied To Emerging Infectious Diseases: Advancing Biomarker Discovery And Characterising Host-pathogen Interaction In Melioidosis And Seps
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,158.00
Summary
Melioidosis is an emerging disease in Australia and South-East Asia due to its association with diabetes and changing climate. The current clinical methods often fail to save the life of melioidosis patients who develop sepsis. This study will search for melioidosis metabolite biomarkers that help in rapid diagnosis and in selecting adequate treatment which is essential to reduce the mortality. Future, similar studies on other sepsis infections could improve clinical sepsis management world wide ....Melioidosis is an emerging disease in Australia and South-East Asia due to its association with diabetes and changing climate. The current clinical methods often fail to save the life of melioidosis patients who develop sepsis. This study will search for melioidosis metabolite biomarkers that help in rapid diagnosis and in selecting adequate treatment which is essential to reduce the mortality. Future, similar studies on other sepsis infections could improve clinical sepsis management world wide.Read moreRead less
Utilising Circulating Tumour DNA (ctDNA) To Optimise The Adjuvant Therapy And Follow-up Of Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,316,682.00
Summary
The management of patients after surgery for rectal cancer presents multilpe dilemmas; what treatment should be given and to which patients? Our initial studies in colorectal cancer patients demonstrate that a novel blood biomarker (circulating tumour DNA) can accurately predict patient risk of recurrence and with serial samples, can indicate whether chemotherapy is being effective. During follow-up changes in this biomarker promise to be a specific and very early indicator of cancer recurrence.
The FIELD trial, one of the largest type 2 diabetes studies world-wide, involving 9795 people over five years, demonstrated that the blood fat lowering drug fenofibrate protects against diabetic eye, kidney and nerve damage and some cardiovascular events. The FIELD NOMAD Study will identify novel molecular and biochemical markers of diabetes complications and treatment response in at least 1000 subjects with diabetes. Results are expected to improve diabetes care and develop new treatments.
Significance Of Soluble PD-L1 In Melanoma Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,236.00
Summary
A class of new immunotherapy drugs called “antibodies of immune checkpoints” can lead to long-lasting melanoma regression, but they are only beneficial to a subset of patients. This project will potentially identify the increased expression of a protein called PD-L1 in the blood as a biomarker predictive of responses of melanoma patients to these new drugs. The results will be instructive for selection of patients for the treatment.
Relationship Between Head Injury And Cognitive, Neurological And Biological Variables Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$252,849.00
Summary
This project will investigate in people over the age of 60 whether the features which predispose to Alzheimer’s disease are more prevalent in individuals who have sustained a head injury previously in their lives. If our findings suggest that a history of head injury increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, we will be able to evaluate relationships with other medical and social variables and with lifestyle and dietary factors which may reduce this risk.
Cost-effective Development And Validation Of Risk Prediction Models: Methods And Applications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$157,322.00
Summary
We will develop statistical methods and software that will enable risk calculators being built and validated using study designs that require only a fraction of current cost. The methods and software will be freely-available to researchers worldwide.