Sympathetic Nervous System Contribution To Hypertension : CNS Pathways, Neurotransmitters And Neuroeffector Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,750.00
Summary
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major public health problem in Western society with approximately 20% of adults affected. If left untreated, serious damage to organs can occur and the risk of sudden cardiac death or stroke is greatly increased. While many factors contribute to the development of hypertension such as lifestyle, genes, diet, weight and exercise levels, a common feature in the early stages is an overactive nervous system in the kidney and in the heart which is most likely d ....High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major public health problem in Western society with approximately 20% of adults affected. If left untreated, serious damage to organs can occur and the risk of sudden cardiac death or stroke is greatly increased. While many factors contribute to the development of hypertension such as lifestyle, genes, diet, weight and exercise levels, a common feature in the early stages is an overactive nervous system in the kidney and in the heart which is most likely due to altered signals from the brain. We need to understand why this occurs. One possibility is that renin (a chemical released from the kidney) that is known to control body fluid, also acts in the brain to increase nerve activity to the kidney and heart and in this way contributes to high blood pressure. It does this indirectly by producing another hormone called angiotensin. Our research has shown that in conditions where the kidney releases excess of the hormone renin, which may occur if the blood supply to the kidney is reduced, a change occurs in the way in which the nervous system affects blood pressure. The nervous system is activated to increase the release of renin from the kidney. The effect of this is to make blood pressure increase further in what can become a vicious circle. At present it is not understood why and how this change occurrs. The major thrust of this project is to determine the mechanims by which the renal hormones signal the central nervous system to change the nature of the nervous activity back to the kidney. We want to know what parts of the brain are involved, how the nature of the activity in the nerves changes and also how the nervous control of the kidney changes (i.e. how the kidney changes its responsivness to the nerve activity). Because similar processes probably occur in nearly all forms of high blood pressure, our results will greatly improve our understanding of how this dangerous condition develops.Read moreRead less
The brain exerts a restraining influence over the heartbeat via the vagus nerves. This is known as cardiac vagal ‘tone’. It is strong when we are healthy but weak when we are sick. It has a positive influence on the health of the heart and perhaps the body generally. Vagal tone comes from the brain but, despite over 150 years’ research, nobody knows exactly where. Using a novel technique, we can track down its origins. This important basic knowledge may lead to ways to improve health.
Radiosensitisation Of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas By Modulating Glucose Metabolism
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$325,000.00
Summary
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) represents the most aggressive cancer of childhood with no effective treatment available and radiotherapy is the only form of treatment that offers a transient benefit. We have successfully grown the first DIPG cells in the laboratory and found a new approach to radiosensitise them by targeting glucose metabolism. We will build on these findings and develop this treatment strategy to make this novel therapy available to children with this deadly disease.