Engineered Polymer Nanoparticles: A Potent Weapon Against Cancer. Cervical cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in women under the age of 50 worldwide, the 8th most common cancer among women in Australia, and is the leading cause of cancer death in Aboriginal women. While a vaccine is available to prevent HPV-mediated disease, it would not impact upon death rates for at least 25 years. The systemic delivery of RNAi offers to best opportunity to solve this problem. The delivery devices w ....Engineered Polymer Nanoparticles: A Potent Weapon Against Cancer. Cervical cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in women under the age of 50 worldwide, the 8th most common cancer among women in Australia, and is the leading cause of cancer death in Aboriginal women. While a vaccine is available to prevent HPV-mediated disease, it would not impact upon death rates for at least 25 years. The systemic delivery of RNAi offers to best opportunity to solve this problem. The delivery devices will be designed with precision and function to meet the delivery needs in vivo. These polymer structures will be suitable for use in drug and gene delivery providing Australian products with advanced features and capabilities, significantly improving product performance.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989197
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$225,000.00
Summary
Reaction Kinetics Analysis Facility. This proposal will establish a world-class resource to support major research efforts in a wide range of applications associated with the study of reaction mechanisms and intermediates in systems ranging from small molecules to complex polymers. This facility, which is unique in Australia and strongly builds on the broad expertise of the involved researchers at the participating institutions, will address an important need in the areas of physical-organic and ....Reaction Kinetics Analysis Facility. This proposal will establish a world-class resource to support major research efforts in a wide range of applications associated with the study of reaction mechanisms and intermediates in systems ranging from small molecules to complex polymers. This facility, which is unique in Australia and strongly builds on the broad expertise of the involved researchers at the participating institutions, will address an important need in the areas of physical-organic and physical chemistry by strengthening our capacity for cutting-edge research in reactive intermediate chemistry. The Facility will help to establish frontier technologies in the chemical sciences for building and transforming Australian industries in line with national research priorities.Read moreRead less
Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating neuronal fusion. Neurons are tightly connected individual cells that communicate through chemical and electrical signals, and this project aims to discover the key molecules that allow these cells to remain as individual units without fusing with each other. The nervous system, unlike other tissues, is made of discrete individual cells, connected by chemical and electrical synapses but not by cytoplasmic continuity. However, how this is achieved ....Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating neuronal fusion. Neurons are tightly connected individual cells that communicate through chemical and electrical signals, and this project aims to discover the key molecules that allow these cells to remain as individual units without fusing with each other. The nervous system, unlike other tissues, is made of discrete individual cells, connected by chemical and electrical synapses but not by cytoplasmic continuity. However, how this is achieved and how neurons maintain their individuality during development, remodelling and ageing is unknown. The project aims to address this gap using a genetic approach and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental system. The results may provide insights into how the nervous system develops and functions.Read moreRead less
Interactions between phenome and genome at developing CNS synapses during synaptic refinement. Activity-dependent changes in synaptic transmission are vital to development and function of central neuronal networks. However, the critical factors regulating developmental changes in synaptic signals remain largely unknown. We will correlate functional changes in synaptic responses at glutamate-releasing synapses with changes in glutamate receptor composition at a critical period during developmen ....Interactions between phenome and genome at developing CNS synapses during synaptic refinement. Activity-dependent changes in synaptic transmission are vital to development and function of central neuronal networks. However, the critical factors regulating developmental changes in synaptic signals remain largely unknown. We will correlate functional changes in synaptic responses at glutamate-releasing synapses with changes in glutamate receptor composition at a critical period during development, test whether synaptic activation of receptors is required for these changes and define the pattern of activity-dependent changes in gene expression necessary for developmental changes in synaptic transmission. Understanding this interaction between synaptic phenome and activity-dependent genomic expression will expand our understanding of brain development and function.Read moreRead less
Hydrogen Abstraction in Chemical, Biochemical and Polymerization Processes. Hydrogen-abstraction reactions are of vital importance in the chemical, biochemical and polymerization processes that occur in everyday life. The objective of the proposed research is to improve our understanding of such reactions. State-of-the-art quantum chemistry calculations will be used to examine a broad range of hydrogen-abstraction reactions, and to obtain accurate information about the factors that influence suc ....Hydrogen Abstraction in Chemical, Biochemical and Polymerization Processes. Hydrogen-abstraction reactions are of vital importance in the chemical, biochemical and polymerization processes that occur in everyday life. The objective of the proposed research is to improve our understanding of such reactions. State-of-the-art quantum chemistry calculations will be used to examine a broad range of hydrogen-abstraction reactions, and to obtain accurate information about the factors that influence such reactions. Building on this work, more detailed case studies will be performed in two important areas: the hydrogen-abstraction steps in biochemical reactions mediated by coenzyme B12, and chain-transfer processes in conventional and controlled free-radical polymerization.Read moreRead less
Imaging the generation and recall of protective antiviral immune responses in vivo. Our understanding of the in vivo dynamics of cellular immune responses to infectious diseases is poor. This project will utilise advanced intravital imaging combined with novel tools to dissect the cellular events involved in the generation and recall of T cell responses to localised virus infection, combined with a detailed functional analysis of the lymphoid organ stroma. Such fundamental information will contr ....Imaging the generation and recall of protective antiviral immune responses in vivo. Our understanding of the in vivo dynamics of cellular immune responses to infectious diseases is poor. This project will utilise advanced intravital imaging combined with novel tools to dissect the cellular events involved in the generation and recall of T cell responses to localised virus infection, combined with a detailed functional analysis of the lymphoid organ stroma. Such fundamental information will contribute to the development of new generation vaccines and therapies to protect against tissue-specific infectious diseases, cancers and autoimmune diseases.Read moreRead less
Molecular determinants of an allergic response. Some humans develop allergies after exposure to environmental allergens while others do not. At present, the reason for this individual variation is not known. By comparing the processes activated in allergic versus non-allergic individuals, this study will identify critical molecules involved in making individuals susceptible to allergies, which will be used to develop safer and more effective allergy vaccines.
The Immunoregulatory Role of the Endogenous Cannabinoid Anandamide. Anandamides are naturally occurring fatty acids that act at the cannabinoid receptor expressed in the brain and periphery. A new proposal by our research group challenges traditional models of the disease process by suggesting that the anandamide system is an important imunoregulatory system that can be targeted by invading pathogens. We propose that disruption to the anandamide system, by bacteria or viruses acting at the rece ....The Immunoregulatory Role of the Endogenous Cannabinoid Anandamide. Anandamides are naturally occurring fatty acids that act at the cannabinoid receptor expressed in the brain and periphery. A new proposal by our research group challenges traditional models of the disease process by suggesting that the anandamide system is an important imunoregulatory system that can be targeted by invading pathogens. We propose that disruption to the anandamide system, by bacteria or viruses acting at the receptor to block immunological responses, contributes to chronic illness states. At this point we have good evidence that anandamides are immunoregulators, however, we have very little knowledge of their precise physiological role. The aim of this research is to begin to characterise the immunoregulatory role of the anandamide system. This project will provide a comprehensive understanding of this endogenous control system, the immunological properties of which have not previously been described. The outcome of this research may lead to the identification of new avenues for the development of pharmaceutical interventions that can target this system.Read moreRead less
Development of novel reagents that specifically counteract EphA4 to enhance axonal regeneration. This project will examine the role of EphA4, an important guidance protein, in neural cell regeneration. The goal is to understand the signalling mechanisms that inhibit regeneration in the central nervous system and to develop novel biological agents to overcome these processes and promote functional recovery after nervous system injury or disease.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101591
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Novel postsynaptic functions of the microtubule-associated protein tau. The protein tau is present in abnormal deposits in brains of individuals with dementia. The main aim of this project is to unravel and understand in detail new roles of tau in neurons and thus shed new light into normal brain function. Understanding these new functions of tau will aid in identifying new ways to treat these debilitating diseases.