Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the leading causes of chronic pain both world-wide and in Australia for which there is a lack of treatments. Chronic pain arises from nerve fibres in the colon wall, which fail to 'reset' back to normal following inflammation. Targeting these nerve endings with drugs is a key advance in IBS treatment. This project will identify selective oxytocin analogues that act in the colon to lower pain in sensory nerves thus providing efficacious pain relief in IBS.
Histone Demethylase KDM6A Is A Novel Target For Treating Craniosynostosis In Children With Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$548,854.00
Summary
Children with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome exhibit premature fused coronal sutures, and other skull/ skeletal malformations. Surgical intervention is the only treatment option to ensure optimal cognitive and skeletal development. Our studies have identified a candidate molecular pathway that regulates bone formation by cranial bone cells from these patients. Targeting this key molecular regulator with chemical inhibitors will help prevent the premature fusion of cranial sutures.
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor C-ros-oncogene 1 Mediates Twist-1 Haploinsufficiency Induced Craniosynostosis In Children: A Novel Therapeutic Target
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$562,863.00
Summary
Children with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome exhibit premature fussed coronal sutures, and other skull/ skeletal malformations. Surgical intervention is the only treatment option to ensure optimal cognitive and skeletal development. Our studies have identified a candidate molecular pathway that regulates bone formation by cranial bone cells from these patients. Targeting these key molecular signalling components with chemical inhibitors will help prevent the premature fusion of cranial sutures.
Innovation In The Synthesis And Translation Of Research Evidence To Inform The Prevention, Management And Treatment Of Chronic Disease In Indigenous Populations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,642,121.00
Summary
Chronic disease remains the principal cause of health inequality for Indigenous Australians. Primary care is critical to mounting a health system response. The Aboriginal community controlled sector is at the coal face of chronic disease management, yet requires the synthesis, utilisation, development, evaluation and translation of evidence to practice. CREATE was established for this purpose
Improving Pain And Movement Outcomes In Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
People fear getting painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) more than any other disease – it is seen as progressive and incurable. It often stops people from moving and staying healthy, resulting in an enormous burden on sufferers and the health care system. This program of research aims to understand what brain & nervous system processes might underlie these pain and movement problems and whether new brain-targeting treatment helps. This will allow us to better match treatment to what patients need.
Interaction Of TRP Channels And Inflammatory Mediators: A Critical Role In Visceral Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$308,747.00
Summary
Transient receptor potential, or TRP channels, are involved in generating many of the sensations we feel, such as touch and pain. The function of these channels can be altered by substances released by the body during inflammation. Some TRP channels have specialized roles in signalling pain from the colon which can be enhanced during colonic inflammation. Understanding how TRP channels and inflammatory mediators function and interact is essential if we are to find treatments for colonic pain.
Ion Channels Underlying Inflammatory And Post-inflammatory Visceral Mechanical Hypersensitivity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,439.00
Summary
Inflammation causes tissue damage that triggers ion channels within sensory nerve fibres to produce greater signals in response to mechanical events, causing acute pain. In chronic pain, although the inflamed tissue has healed, sensory nerve fibres fail to "reset" back to normal. Often chronic pain is more severe than acute pain. This project will identify which ion channels are responsible for signalling acute and chronic visceral pain, explaining why sensory nerve fibres fail to reset.
How Intestinal Motility Activates Sensory Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,875.00
Summary
Pain and discomfort from the gut are common and unpleasant. We understand how gut sensory nerve cells work, at the cellular, molecular and genetic level. However, movement of the gut wall and contents are the major cause of activation of sensory neurons. We know little about which particular patterns of movement cause pain. This is crucial information for accurately diagnosing human gut disorders, for monitoring effectiveness of treatments and for identifying potential new drug targets.
A Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomised Trial (SMART) Of Nursing Interventions To Reduce Pain Associated With Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$713,418.00
Summary
Modern chemotherapy treatments can result in damage to the peripheral nerves, resulting in a condition called peripheral neuropathy. This condition is characterised by a range of sensory and functional changes that can cause pain and reduced ability to perform daily activities. This project will test various non-pharmacological pain management measures to determine if they are effective in improving the quality of life of patients who experience this problem.
Chronic inflammation underlies common and debilitating diseases and causes pain by unknown mechanisms. There is an urgent need to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of chronic pain, which will allow the development of improved therapies with fewer side-effects. Our research program investigates the mechanisms of pain that are associated with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, with the goal of developing more effective and selective therapies.