Assessment Of The Potential Of Human And Rodent Hair Follicle Stem Cells For Cell Therapy And Tissue Engineering.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$104,985.00
Summary
Hair root as a rapidly self-renewing tissue is an ideal source of cells for tissue engineering. In this study these accessible and multipotential cells are used to generate pancreas and heart tissue. Engineered pancreas and heart tissue is potential source of treatment for diabetes and heart disease.
Generation Of Embryonic Stem Cell-like Cells By Reprogramming Somatic Cell Nuclei
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$69,936.00
Summary
Human embryonic stem (ES) cells possess considerable potential in treating numerous human diseases. However, ethical concerns surround the isolation of embryonic stem cells from human embryos. Therefore, this proposal aims to develop a reliable method of deriving human ES-like cells from normal adult cells (eg. skin cells). For example, preliminary results suggest ES cells can impart their 'stemness' onto adult cells when the two cells are fused together.
The Biology Of Cervical Disc Damage And Stem Cell Applications For Repair.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$82,554.00
Summary
Disruption of the cervical disc by degeneration or trauma is common and therefore a major public health issue causing significant pain and disability in the community. The understanding of the changes that occur in disc degeneration would be greatly enhanced by comparison with changes that occur in normal discs and in discs recently disrupted by trauma. Potential applications of adult stem cells or their derivatives for disc repair and regeneration will be explored.
Strategies To Enhance Recruitment Of Hematopoietic Stem Cells And Their Differentiation To Retinal Pigment Epithelium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$29,627.00
Summary
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the leading cause of adult blindness in the western world. As the Australian population ages, many more people will suffer from this disease. This project aims to use adult stem cells, called hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to repair injured vessels in the eye. This approach optimises healthy repair of the retina by facilitating differentiation of HSC into retinal pigment epithelium, the cells whose malfunction is the underlying initiator of the disease.
Design And Use Of Conductive Biopolymers In Neural Stem Cell Network Formation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$74,055.00
Summary
Growing neural tissue from stem cells on an electrically conductive surface can improve cell growth over the short term, yet the functionality of the cells has never been fully established. We will investigate the use of polymers for facilitation of neural tissue growth from stem cells, test the functionality of the tissue produced, and investigate the effectiveness of implantation of the developed tissue into primates to supplement or replace damaged tissue.
Role Of The Ets-family Transcription Factor Erg In Haematopoiesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,621.00
Summary
Development of blood cells is controlled by specific molecules called transcription factors. Transcription factors are important in developing mature white cells, red cells and platelets from blood stem cells. We have discovered that a transcription factor, Erg, is important in control of blood stem cells and blood cell development as well as being implicated in human cancers, including acute leukaemia. This project will characterise how this molecule is involved in these specific processes.