A Motion Correction Technique For Accurate PET/CT Brain Imaging In Paediatric And Dementia Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$190,450.00
Summary
PET-CT imaging is a vital tool in the diagnosis and management of patients with brain disorders including dementia, epilepsy and cancer. However images are often distorted by patient motion, particularly in demented and paediatric patients. The CI has recently developed a motion tracking and correction method to derive images nearly free of motion effects. This aim of this project is to evaluate its impact on image quality in a variety of patients referred for PET- CT brain investigations.
NaviGAIT: New Software To Simplify Interpretation Of Gait Analysis Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$179,905.00
Summary
NaviGAIT is a new software package to support interpretation of gait analysis data. It is based upon Gait Profiling, a new technique to reduce the complexity of such data. At present data intepretation is restricted to a few expert clinicians. The new software will allow non-expert clinicians to interpret data and hence make gait analysis more accessible, cheaper and more clincally useful. A module of NaviGAIT specifically for children with cerebral palsy will be the first to be developed.
The Development Of Store Operated Calcium Channel Monoclonal Antibody Inhibitors As A Therapeutic Option For Breast Cancer Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,753.00
Summary
Despite recent advances in the treatment of breast cancer, a significant proportion of women with this disease receive little benefit from currently available treatments and die from breast cancer. Hence, new therapies for the breast cancers with the poorest prognosis are needed. This grant exploits our earlier finding that a specific calcium channel is a likely therapeutic target for breast cancer. Funding from this grant will be used to develop an inhibitory monoclonal antibody to this target.
Therapeutic Strategies And Screening Methods For PKC Epsilon Antagonists In The Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$157,375.00
Summary
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease affecting over a million Australians and hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Its prevalence is rising due to several factors such as an increase in caloric intake, the aging of the population, and the common sedentary lifestyle of Western civilization. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin for the body to cope with rising blood glucose levels after a meal, and has been strongly linked to obesity. We have now shown ....Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease affecting over a million Australians and hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Its prevalence is rising due to several factors such as an increase in caloric intake, the aging of the population, and the common sedentary lifestyle of Western civilization. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin for the body to cope with rising blood glucose levels after a meal, and has been strongly linked to obesity. We have now shown that an enzyme found in the pancreas becomes inappropriately activated under conditions of fat oversupply, and plays an important role in the development of defects in insulin release from the pancreas in response to glucose. Excitingly, we have also shown that inhibition of this enzyme can partly reverse these defects once they have been established. We now intend to further validate this enzyme as a drug target by determining the optimum dosing regimen for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in a mouse model, and testing whether this approach can be used in conjunction with previously-developed drugs which promote insulin action, to improve bood glucose handling better than either treatment alone. This would promote the enzyme as a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. We also plan to develop a high throuhput screen to identify novel inhibitors of the enzyme, which will further increase the attractiveness of the project to pharmaceutical companies, who are better able to implent full commercialization of our findings.Read moreRead less
Development Of Small Molecule IRAP Inhibitors For Treating Memory Deficits
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,898.00
Summary
We have identified a series of small molecule compounds based on their ability to inhibit the catalytic activity of a protein, IRAP using a computer model of IRAP to screen chemical libraries. This research proposal aims to investigate the properties of these compounds and their ability to treat Alzheimer's dementia. At the conclusion of this project, we will have 2 families of lead compounds suitable for development into a new class of therapeutic agents for treating Alzheimer's disease.
Development Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Of IRAP - Potential Use For The Treatment Of Memory Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$195,450.00
Summary
This research project provides proof of concept that IRAP is a suitable target for use in the development of a new class of clinically valuable cognitive-enhancing agents. We have recently Identified a family of small molecule compounds that inhibited the catalytic activity of the enzyme using a molecule model of IRAP to screen virtual libraries. This research proposal aims to validate that this family of compounds have memory-enhancing properties by acting specifically on IRAP. At the conclusio ....This research project provides proof of concept that IRAP is a suitable target for use in the development of a new class of clinically valuable cognitive-enhancing agents. We have recently Identified a family of small molecule compounds that inhibited the catalytic activity of the enzyme using a molecule model of IRAP to screen virtual libraries. This research proposal aims to validate that this family of compounds have memory-enhancing properties by acting specifically on IRAP. At the conclusion of this project, we will have elucidated important information on the specificity of the memory effects and the structure activity relationship of this family of compounds. We will have identified and characterised a lead compound for development into a new class of cognitive enhancers.Read moreRead less
Novel Methods For Promoting Organ Development And Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,203.00
Summary
A revolutionary new therapy for treatment of growth restricted fetuses and premature babies is being developed through the administration of Colony Stimulating Factor (CSF-1). We have evidence that CSF-1 therapy can promote kidneys and lungs to continue development and maturation after birth. This exciting new finding allows for the application of CSF-1 therapy for both the treatment of premature babies and unborn babies with kidney defects.
Dynamic In Vivo Size & Shape Measurement Of The Human Upper Airway Using Endoscopic Long-range Optical Coherence Tomogra
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$184,250.00
Summary
This project will fund the construction of a clinically deployable prototype device to measure changes in upper airway size and shape in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. We have recently developed and validated a technique based on endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT). Preliminary in vivo studies have been performed in the human upper airway and the results published. To our knowledge, this is the only such system world-wide capable of making these important measurements. The tec ....This project will fund the construction of a clinically deployable prototype device to measure changes in upper airway size and shape in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. We have recently developed and validated a technique based on endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT). Preliminary in vivo studies have been performed in the human upper airway and the results published. To our knowledge, this is the only such system world-wide capable of making these important measurements. The technique has wide commercially applicability as it can be used to measure the internal dimensions of any hollow organ system.Read moreRead less
Use Of Snake Venom Prothrombin Activators In Blood Collection Tubes To Produce High Quality Serum To Improve Patient Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$284,706.00
Summary
The timely availability of high quality serum and plasma samples are of the utmost importance for accurate biochemical analysis in a clinical setting. This requirement is particularly true for patients on anti-clotting therapeutic agents such as warfarin and heparin. In this study we will employ potent prothrombin activators purified from snake venom to enhance the clotting efficiency of blood for serum preparation for biochemical analysis.