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Increasing Haematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilisation By Targeting A Novel Niche Factor
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$707,218.00
Summary
Transplantation of patients’ own blood stem cells is used to treat many blood cancers. It increases the chance of cure. However the damage caused by chemotherapies used to combat the cancer can compromise stem cell collection and transplantation. Without transplant, these patients are less likely to be cured. This project is to test new drugs that enhance the harvest of blood stem cells for transplantation. These will increase the success rates of transplants and cure in these cancer patients.
Effective Therapies To Treat Viral Infections And Their Complications In Transplantation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,100,450.00
Summary
Viral infections are a common life threatening complication in transplant recipients, for which there are limited treatment options. We have developed several pre-clinical models that we are using to determine how the treatment of viral infections that occur after transplantation can be improved.
Developing Bone Marrow Transplant And Novel Therapeutic Vectors To Treat Friedreich Ataxia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$598,163.00
Summary
We aim to develop effective therapies for the neuromuscular disease Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). The neurodegeneration inherent to FRDA slowly robs a person of the ability to move freely and care for themselves. It needs life-long medical support and there is no cure. FRDA lowers frataxin, a critical mitochondrial protein. Evidence indicates increasing frataxin can be beneficial. Using disease models, we will determine if increasing frataxin via bone marrow transplant or gene therapy improves FRDA.
Failure Of Donor Antigen Presentation Promotes IL-17 Dependant Chronic GVHD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$585,860.00
Summary
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is the most effective treatment for a number of haematological conditions, especially leukemia. Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a complication of BMT and results in the death of up to 50% of transplant recipients. GVHD occurs when the newly transplanted immune system recognizes the recipient as foreign and mounts and immune reponse against the patients tissues. These studies will focus on identifying and understanding the function of the immune cells which d ....Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is the most effective treatment for a number of haematological conditions, especially leukemia. Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a complication of BMT and results in the death of up to 50% of transplant recipients. GVHD occurs when the newly transplanted immune system recognizes the recipient as foreign and mounts and immune reponse against the patients tissues. These studies will focus on identifying and understanding the function of the immune cells which drive GVHD.Read moreRead less
Recipient Bone Marrow Macrophages Contribute To Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Success
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$608,906.00
Summary
We propose an innovative approach to reduce risk and increase success of blood stem cell transplantation. We will determine whether a specialized cell within the transplant patient is required for donor stem cells to successfully take up residence and recreate the blood and immune system. We will test whether fortifying these specialized cells will improve transplantation outcomes, consequently increasing the number of transplants that can proceed and reducing potentially fatal complications.
Cytokine Responses Within The GI Tract Dictate T Cell Fate And Transplant Outcome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,479,579.00
Summary
Over 10,000 persons per year in Australia are diagnosed with a blood cancer, accounting for 10% of cancer deaths. Stem cell transplantation remains curative therapy for these diseases but is limited by a process known as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), responsible for mortality in up to 50% of patients. This project will focus on immune responses within the colon as the critical event initiating lethal GVHD, defining new treatments that will be translated to improve transplant outcomes.
The Interplay Between IL-6 And GVHD On Anti-viral And Anti-leukaemic Immunity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$489,376.00
Summary
Bone marrow transplantation can cure leukaemia but infection, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and leukaemia relapse remain challenging problems. We recently completed an early phase clinical study on GVHD prevention using interleukin-6 blockade. Interestingly, the rate of virus reactivation was also lower. This project will use a newly developed mouse model and stored clinical samples to understand the underlying mechanism and whether it also has an impact on anti-leukaemic immunity.
Regulatory T Cell Therapy For Prevention Of Graft Versus Host Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$765,299.00
Summary
Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a potentially fatal complication of bone marrow stem cell transplantation for leukaemia and lymphoma. In an animal model of GVHD, we have recently shown 100% effectiveness of treatment with a donor immune cell population, regulatory T cells. We will determine how this therapy works in the animal model. We will use a new technique, mass cytometry, to analyse patient blood samples in preparation for developing regulatory T cell therapy for GVHD.
The Role Of Gut Resident Antigen Presenting Cells In Graft-versus-host Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$409,909.00
Summary
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is curative therapy for most blood cancers, since donor immune cells can eliminate cancers which cannot be eradicated by chemotherapy. However these donor cells can also attack normal cells in a process known as graft-versus-host disease. This research aims to understand how immune responses are induced after SCT to promote cancer eradication, whilst inhibiting GVHD, thus curing more patients of cancer and maintaining a normal quality of life.
Targeting The Hypoxia Sensing Pathway To Improve Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilisation And Transplantation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,313.00
Summary
Transplantation of patients’ own blood stem cells is used to treat many blood cancers. It increases the chance of cure. However the damage caused by chemotherapies used to combat the cancer can compromise stem cell collection and transplantation. Without transplant, these patients are less likely to survive cancer. This project is to test new drugs that enhance the harvest of blood stem cells for transplantation. These will increase the success rates of transplants and cure in these cancer patie ....Transplantation of patients’ own blood stem cells is used to treat many blood cancers. It increases the chance of cure. However the damage caused by chemotherapies used to combat the cancer can compromise stem cell collection and transplantation. Without transplant, these patients are less likely to survive cancer. This project is to test new drugs that enhance the harvest of blood stem cells for transplantation. These will increase the success rates of transplants and cure in these cancer patients.Read moreRead less