The WHO estimates there were ~189 million clinical cases & 584,000 malaria-related deaths in 2013. This translates to ~1,600 child deaths daily. There is no licensed malaria vaccine & all available drugs are associated with resistant parasites. This enormous health issue is driving the search for new therapies. We address this issue by identifying new drug candidates for malaria prevention, with unique modes of action to treatment drugs in order to overcome issues of parasite drug resistance.
Once treatable infections are becoming deadly because bacteria are developing broad antibiotic resistance. New medicines are urgently needed. Microbes themselves are the richest known source of new antibiotics but finding the 'good bugs' is like finding a needle in a microbial haystack. This project will use state-of-the art science to screen a previously overlooked source of rich microbial biodiversity and find new antibiotics.
The Identification Of New Epilepsy Genes By Whole Genome Sequencing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,069,803.00
Summary
Epilepsy is a common brain disorder affecting approximately 50 million people worldwide. The most common type of epilepsy is known as focal epilepsy. Our group has recently shown the importance of genetic mutations as causes of focal epilepsy. Using modern genomic technologies we will identify new genes in focal epilepsy. We will make animal models of these genes to better understand the pathobiology of epilepsy so that new treatments can be developed for patients.
New Antimalarial Drug Leads Targeting Multiple Species And Life Cycle Stages
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$818,477.00
Summary
Malaria causes ~200 million clinical cases and >430,000 deaths annually. Prevention and treatment relies on drugs, however malaria parasite drug resistance is an enormous problem. To address this issue, and aim towards eliminating malaria, we need to develop new drugs. This project addresses this important health need by investigating the ability of new chemical compounds, developed at CSIRO, to kill human-infecting malaria parasites during different parts of their complicated lifecycles.
Novel Treatments Of Fibrosis For Hypertensive Heart Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$912,536.00
Summary
A recognised risk factor for cardiovascular disease is high blood pressure which contributes to a stiffer heart that can ultimately lead to heart failure. There are very few treatments that can reduce heart stiffening, called fibrosis. This project is focused on the preclinical testing of novel compounds that we have developed to reverse the build-up of fibrosis in the heart, which will lead to better treatment of elderly patients with high blood pressure and poorly-functioning hearts.
Identifying And Preventing The Epithelial Triggers Of Neutrophilic Inflammation In Cystic Fibrosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$961,124.00
Summary
We have identified aberrant immune responses to viruses and bacteria as potential triggers of damaging airway inflammation soon after children are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis after newborn screening. We will investigate the mechanisms underlying these responses and develop therapies with the potential to reduce inflammation and prevent lung disease.
Combating Giardiasis By Investigating New Potent Compound Series As Leads For Improved Treatment Options
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$776,028.00
Summary
Giardia parasites infect ~1 billion people globally and are responsible for significant morbidity and disadvantage. There is no licensed vaccine and current treatment options are inadequate, resulting in poor compliance, treatment failures, rapid re-infection and drug resistance. New therapies are needed to combat this parasite and improve the health of millions world-wide. We will address this issue by investigating new drug candidates for the treatment of Giardia infections.
Metabolomic Analysis Of Plasmodum Falciparum And Mode Of Action Of Antimalarial Compounds
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$917,196.00
Summary
There is an urgent need to develop new drugs to treat malaria, one of the most important diseases to afflict humanity. We have developed new analytical approaches for measuring parasite metabolism while they live inside host cells. These approaches will be used to identify metabolic pathways that are essential for parasite infectivity and to understand the mode of action of new classes of antimalarial compounds
Activation Of BMP4 Signalling To Inhibit Breast Cancer Metastasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$748,742.00
Summary
The spread of cancer cells to other organs is a common cause of breast cancer-related death in women. Current therapies for advanced breast cancer are often palliative since the secondary tumours become resistant to the chemotherapy. Here, we are using preclinical models of advanced breast cancer to develop a treatment that should be effective in patients with secondary tumours and should reduce the risk of dying of this disease.
Targeting The Achilles' Heel Of Polymyxins: Eliminating The Nephrotoxicity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$673,420.00
Summary
The world is facing a growing threat from the emergence of bacterial 'superbugs' that are resistant to all current antibiotics except the polymyxins. However, kidney toxicity occurs in up to 60% of patients receiving intravenous polymyxins. In this project, we will examine how polymyxins cause kidney toxicity then employ the obtained mechanistic information to decrease this adverse effect. Our study targets the urgent global unmet medical need, lack of new antibiotics for bacterial ‘superbugs’.