Neurological cell replacement therapies: improving outcomes by matching developmental profiles of transplanted cells with the damaged brain area. Stem cell transplantation offers a way to replace nerve cells lost due to acute CNS injury or chronic degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's Disease. However, to date, results have been disappointing because of poor differentiation, survival and integration of stem cells confounded by ethical issues associated with the use of embryos as the source ....Neurological cell replacement therapies: improving outcomes by matching developmental profiles of transplanted cells with the damaged brain area. Stem cell transplantation offers a way to replace nerve cells lost due to acute CNS injury or chronic degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's Disease. However, to date, results have been disappointing because of poor differentiation, survival and integration of stem cells confounded by ethical issues associated with the use of embryos as the source of stem cells. The experiments conducted in this study will provide strategies to improve the efficacy of stem cell transplantation into the damaged CNS as well as developing the use of autologous bone marrow stem cells for repair. Outcomes will be improved transplant methodologies and expertise for the bio-technology industry. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100217
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
In-Vivo Multispectral and X-ray Micro-CT Imaging: Founding a Western Australian small animal imaging core facility. The Western Australian Small Animal Imaging facility will provide wide access for the West Australian research community to a multimodality functional and dynamic core bioimaging facility to characterise in-vivo animal models, including extensive postgraduate research training. Wide-ranging research outcomes of national and community benefit include imaging tumour development, bone ....In-Vivo Multispectral and X-ray Micro-CT Imaging: Founding a Western Australian small animal imaging core facility. The Western Australian Small Animal Imaging facility will provide wide access for the West Australian research community to a multimodality functional and dynamic core bioimaging facility to characterise in-vivo animal models, including extensive postgraduate research training. Wide-ranging research outcomes of national and community benefit include imaging tumour development, bone metabolism (osteoporosis), neural function (Alzheimer's disease) and regeneration, and infection mechanisms in live animals, which will result in improvements in human health. Imaging and monitoring coral growth, fish age, and soil structure will improve the economics and sustainability of Australia's marine ecosystems and agricultural food production.Read moreRead less
Using magnetic nanotechnology to aid recovery from neurotrauma. Nanotechnology is an exciting new field that holds great promise to solve challenging health issues including neurotrauma associated with brain and spinal cord injury. Current methods to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently need. The recently established research team brings together expertise in nanotechnology and neuroscience to develop new, safe ways t ....Using magnetic nanotechnology to aid recovery from neurotrauma. Nanotechnology is an exciting new field that holds great promise to solve challenging health issues including neurotrauma associated with brain and spinal cord injury. Current methods to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently need. The recently established research team brings together expertise in nanotechnology and neuroscience to develop new, safe ways to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma, and provide quality research training. Specifically designed nanomaterials will deliver drugs slowly over time and act as scaffolds to stop cells dying and stimulate them to restore broken connections and work again. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100074
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,000.00
Summary
Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genet ....Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genetic and acquired disorders across the life-span. Remote viewing and analysis capabilities will help overcome the 'tyranny of distance', increasing national access to the facility. Repositories of digitised images will increase the availability of valuable research material to other Australian and international researchers.Read moreRead less
Targeted enzymatic treatment of the injured central nervous system using innovative nanotechnology. Nanotechnology and other frontier areas in science have exciting potential to solve major challenges of the 21st century, including health. The proposed research provides the real possibility of discovering ways to alleviate the many complex problems associated with neurotrauma following, for example, brain and spinal cord injury. Current delivery of therapeutics do not work effectively and new ap ....Targeted enzymatic treatment of the injured central nervous system using innovative nanotechnology. Nanotechnology and other frontier areas in science have exciting potential to solve major challenges of the 21st century, including health. The proposed research provides the real possibility of discovering ways to alleviate the many complex problems associated with neurotrauma following, for example, brain and spinal cord injury. Current delivery of therapeutics do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently needed. The recently established powerful multidisciplinary research team combines expertise in nanotechnology, glycobiology and neuroscience to develop novel, safe ways to deliver therapeutic enzymes over biological time-courses. We aim to make broken connections work again, while providing quality research training.Read moreRead less
How critical is the inflammatory response in senile plaque formation in a mutant APP transgenic mouse model? The aims of this project is to examine the brains of mice genetically engineered to produce a human mutant form of insoluble beta amyloid protein known to play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). If the "trigger" for AD is an inflammatory reaction, then the relevant examination of the early stages of senile plaque formation in these animals could lead to pharma ....How critical is the inflammatory response in senile plaque formation in a mutant APP transgenic mouse model? The aims of this project is to examine the brains of mice genetically engineered to produce a human mutant form of insoluble beta amyloid protein known to play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). If the "trigger" for AD is an inflammatory reaction, then the relevant examination of the early stages of senile plaque formation in these animals could lead to pharmaceutical intervention to delay the development of this debilitating disease. A 5 year delay would significantly reduce the number of people with AD, not only adding years of improved quality of life, but also saving hundreds of millions of Australian dollars in health costs.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989788
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$108,481.00
Summary
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Microimaging and Relaxometry Facility. Many of the research projects to be supported by the facility are dedicated to improving our understanding of conditions and diseases that detrimentally affect many in our community. Projects investigating Alzheimer's disease, the central nervous system and its ability to repair, cancer and associated therapeutic treatments are some of the areas that will benefit from access to this equipment. The new facility will also provide un ....Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Microimaging and Relaxometry Facility. Many of the research projects to be supported by the facility are dedicated to improving our understanding of conditions and diseases that detrimentally affect many in our community. Projects investigating Alzheimer's disease, the central nervous system and its ability to repair, cancer and associated therapeutic treatments are some of the areas that will benefit from access to this equipment. The new facility will also provide unique insights into aspects of fundamental plant biology, with implications for improving crop productivity and better managing our natural ecosystems. The community will also benefit from the development and testing within the facility of new diagnostic tools and markers for a range of diseases.Read moreRead less
Single and dual process models of recognition memory: Reconciliation of behavioural, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging data. Advanced brain scanning technologies are increasingly used to study human memory. As well as being important for our basic understanding of memory, they also tell us how memory is affected by normal development, ageing, disease, and injury. Unfortunately, because these technologies are so new, a gap has opened up between our psychological understanding of memory and t ....Single and dual process models of recognition memory: Reconciliation of behavioural, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging data. Advanced brain scanning technologies are increasingly used to study human memory. As well as being important for our basic understanding of memory, they also tell us how memory is affected by normal development, ageing, disease, and injury. Unfortunately, because these technologies are so new, a gap has opened up between our psychological understanding of memory and the physiological events measured by the scanning technologies. This has created a problem for how we should interpret the results that are found. The present project aims to close this gap by applying new research methodologies and theoretical insights based on our previous research.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0454017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$582,598.00
Summary
A unique Western Australian multi-photon confocal microscope facility to support nationally prioritised biomedical, biological and materials research. Core national priority research will utilise the low dose and penetrative nature of multi-photon confocal microscopy in current research into nerve regeneration after neurotrauma, the histopathological treatment of diabetic retinopathology, and hair cell information transfer processes in auditory physiology. Other programs will study biomineralisa ....A unique Western Australian multi-photon confocal microscope facility to support nationally prioritised biomedical, biological and materials research. Core national priority research will utilise the low dose and penetrative nature of multi-photon confocal microscopy in current research into nerve regeneration after neurotrauma, the histopathological treatment of diabetic retinopathology, and hair cell information transfer processes in auditory physiology. Other programs will study biomineralisation in the superior epithelium of chiton and limpet teeth and a variety of salinity-related plant processes. In parallel, an optical development program will investigate contrast modes in other non-linear interactions. The instrument complements and will be managed with field emission SEM, TEM and a unique high-resolution scanning ion probe in a well-established regional Centre.Read moreRead less