Development Of A Cultured Tissue Substitute To Repair The Ageing Retina
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$63,267.00
Summary
The ultimate goal of my research is to develop an effective, affordable and accessible treatment for patients afflicted with age related macular degeneration (AMD). The novelty of my study is that I will use a protein extracted from silk as a form of scaffold on which to grow new retinal tissue, with the view to replacing the damaged tissue that eventually leads to permanent loss of sight in AMD patients.
Investigating The Role Of TGF-beta In Resident Memory T Cell Induction And Maintenance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,495.00
Summary
I am a research scientist interested in the immune system. Specifically, I intend to investigate immunological memory, which is the basis of vaccination. This refers to the ability of certain immune cells such as T and B cells to ‘remember’ a pathogen, so that a rapid and enhanced response can be generated upon re-infection with the same pathogen. This can be investigated by experimental techniques such as flow cytometry, histology and confocal microscopy on cells from infected mouse tissue.
MIGRATORY CHARACTERISTICS OF SKIN-DERIVED NEURAL PRECURSORS AS A NOVEL REGENERATIVE THERAPY FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$46,945.00
Summary
Memory decline in Alzheimer's disease is linked to a massive loss of neurons and the connections between these cells. Stem cell therapy has the potential to combat this neuronal loss by replenishing the brain with healthy functional neurons. This study aims to develop a new type of neural stem-like cell, termed skin-derived neural precursors, which can be isolated from a patient’s own skin. The outcomes from this work will provide the necessary data for progress into human clinical trial.
The Mechanisms Of SIV Entry Of Follicular Helper T Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$95,313.00
Summary
Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells are a type of immune cells essential in antibody production. Preliminary data shows that SIV infects macaque Tfh cells. In this project, we will investigate the mechanisms by which SIV enters into Tfh cells, and test the susceptibility of human Tfh cells to HIV-1 infection ex vivo. This project will enable understanding of the fate of Tfh in HIV infection and its role in HIV host defense and it may facilitate the design of vaccine against HIV.
The Adaptive Immune Response To Epstein-Barr Virus.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,314.00
Summary
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the causative agent of glandular fever, is carried by a large proportion of adults worldwide. EBV is known to cause many cancers including Burkitt's lymphoma and has been linked to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The aim of this project is to find new fragments of EBV that the body's immune system can recognise and use to protect itself against the virus. Once found these pieces will form parts of the puzzle that will one day combine as a vaccine against ....Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the causative agent of glandular fever, is carried by a large proportion of adults worldwide. EBV is known to cause many cancers including Burkitt's lymphoma and has been linked to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The aim of this project is to find new fragments of EBV that the body's immune system can recognise and use to protect itself against the virus. Once found these pieces will form parts of the puzzle that will one day combine as a vaccine against EBV.Read moreRead less
Role Of Proline-rich Tyrosine Kinase 2 (Pyk2) In Ovarian Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$85,254.00
Summary
Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynaecological cancers in the developed world. Elevated levels of gonadotropin hormones and cell protein Pyk2 have been implicated in ovarian cancer. Our aim is to determine the role of Pyk2 in growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer when stimulated with gonadotropins. In addition, we aim to identify protein changes which occur in ovarian cancer when stimulated by gonadotropins in order to identify new biomarkers for the disease.
The Role Of Signal Transducer And Activator Of Transcription- (STAT) Related Proteins In Dendritic Cells During Chronic Active Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$95,313.00
Summary
Chronic infections produced by pathogens such as HIV, overwhelm our immune system leading to an exhausted state where cells responsible for the clearance of invading microorganisms are unable to respond effectively. We have recently identified a highly promising therapeutic target that enhances immune effector function. We seek to understand the underlying mechanism, and to explore its therapeutic potential for use as a common platform to treat diverse infections.
Examining The Specific Vulnerability Of Dopaminergic Cells To Bioenergetic Defects Using Patient-derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells As A Model Of Parkinson’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$112,366.00
Summary
The project will develop new cell models of Parkinson's disease utilising the recently discovered technique of inducing pluripotent stem cells from adult skin cells and differentiating them into the type of neurons that are affected in Parkinson's disease. The novel method will allow further insights to be gained into the molecular pathways involved in the disease and facilitate a search for means to rescue these cells from neurodegenerative processes.
Analysis Of Proinsulin-epitope Specific CD4+ T Cells In Blood Of People With Type 1 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$122,834.00
Summary
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an incurable autoimmune disease characterised by T-cell mediated destruction of insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas. Development of preventative therapies is hampered by paucity of knowledge regarding the targets of the autoimmune T-cell response. We have recently identified epitopes ‘seen’ by islet-infiltrating T-cells, located in proinsulin. Our aim is to examine proinsulin-specific T-cell responses in the peripheral blood of people with and without T1D.