Optimising Speech Assessment And Treatment In Frontotemporal Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$722,210.00
Summary
Frontotemporal dementia has a devastating impact on our ability to speak and understand others. This proposal aims to improve our understanding of how to best assess, diagnose and treat these debilitating impairments. By bringing together an international consortium of clinics, these findings will lead to significant advances in our understanding of disease progression and patient care.
Skin Patch Technology For Fast And Simple Monitoring Of Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$826,064.00
Summary
Micropatch kits will be developed to capture and detect disease-related biomarkers from the skin for diagnostic monitoring, without the need for needles, trained practitioners or expensive laboratory infrastructure
The Classification Of Motor Function Impairment In Chronic Neck Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$117,228.00
Summary
Disability due to painful neck disorders is a serious health issue. Changes in control of neck movement and muscle function are known problems in neck pain sufferers yet management of these issues remains poorly understood. This project aims to develop classifications that better identify movement and muscle problems in the neck with the goal to facilitate better rehabilitation. This project is likely to significantly improve the management of neck pain in the community.
Ocular Motility In Autism And Asperger S Disorder: Dissociation Of Motor Deficits.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$131,235.00
Summary
We will use ocular motor technology to investigate motor dysfunction in autism and Asperger's disorder, to advance our understanding of the neurobiological bases of these disorders. This will help clarify whether neural networks are differentially disrupted in these disorders, as our previous clinical research suggests. This dissociation and the subsequent development of an ocular motor clincal screen may improve diagnosis, and potentially treatment, of these devastating conditions.
Noncoding RNAs As Prognostic Markers And Therapeutic Targets In Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,283.00
Summary
Normal human development involves a symphony of genetic changes that control the growth and differentiation of different types of cells during embryogenesis. For many years it has been assumed that most genetic information is transacted by proteins, and that the remaining 98% of the human genome that does not encode proteins was (apart from a limited amount of associated regulatory elements) largely non-functional evolutionary junk. However, this may not be the case. Recent results from our labo ....Normal human development involves a symphony of genetic changes that control the growth and differentiation of different types of cells during embryogenesis. For many years it has been assumed that most genetic information is transacted by proteins, and that the remaining 98% of the human genome that does not encode proteins was (apart from a limited amount of associated regulatory elements) largely non-functional evolutionary junk. However, this may not be the case. Recent results from our laboratory and others have shown that most of our genome and that of other mammals is actually expressed as noncoding RNA, which appears to be developmentally regulated. These RNAs (of which there appear to be tens of thousands, well outnumbering the protein-coding mRNAs) have been referred to as the hidden layer or dark matter of our genome, as they have barely been studied, but appear to play a central role in both normal and abnormal development in humans. There is now increasing evidence that many noncoding RNAs, including small regulatory RNAs called microRNAs, are perturbed in cancer and that these perturbations may be directly involved in, and be an accurate indicator of, cancer state and the direction of cancer progression. If this is true we need to understand the expression and functions of these RNAs in order to develop better diagnostics and perhaps powerful new therapeutics for cancer, based on RNA technology and generic delivery systems. This project will explore the patterns of noncoding RNA expression in normal breast development and in breast cancer, to identify those RNAs that direct or accompany the differentiation of these tissues, and to test the effects of interfering with their expression on these processes. These foundation studies lie at the leading edge of a new understanding of human genetics and cancer, and will provide a platform for future applications in medicine that utilize this information and understanding.Read moreRead less
Motor Functioning In Autism And Asperger's Disorder: Furthering Current Neurobehavioural And Clinical Definitions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,932.00
Summary
While it is well known that autism and Asperger's disorder are associated with social, communicative, and behavioural symptoms, it is less well known that affected individuals also have considerable movement and coordination difficulties. For example, these children often have problems with hand writing, walking, hopping, skipping, catching, and running. These skills are very important for success at school; for example, if children are unable to participate in school sports they often feel isol ....While it is well known that autism and Asperger's disorder are associated with social, communicative, and behavioural symptoms, it is less well known that affected individuals also have considerable movement and coordination difficulties. For example, these children often have problems with hand writing, walking, hopping, skipping, catching, and running. These skills are very important for success at school; for example, if children are unable to participate in school sports they often feel isolated and rejected from the peer group. Also, hand writing problems have a significant impact on children's academic performance. Our previous research has suggested that there may be particular patterns of motor problems that characterise individuals with autism and Asperger's disorder. Our proposed research aims to use the kinds of 3D motion analysis technology used in the movie industry to capture exactly how people affected by these conditions move and respond to the environment. This study will enable us to highlight particular parts of the brain-motor circuitry that are affected by these disorders and will also enable us to more clearly distinguish how autism is different from Asperger's disorder. Ultimately, it is hoped that our motor investigations will lead to improved assessment and interventions for these disorders.Read moreRead less
Circulating Tumour DNA (ctDNA) As A Diagnostic Tool In Colorectal Cancer: Role In Screening And Early Detection Of Metastatic Or Recurrent Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,478.00
Summary
These studies will be exploring the value of using a blood test to detect cancer DNA as a screening test for colorectal cancer. This test promises to be superior to faecal blood testing, which is currently performed as part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. It may also have advantages over colonoscopy as a screening tool. Given the likely acceptability of having a blood based screening test, it is expected that participation rates in bowel cancer screening, which has been shown to ....These studies will be exploring the value of using a blood test to detect cancer DNA as a screening test for colorectal cancer. This test promises to be superior to faecal blood testing, which is currently performed as part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. It may also have advantages over colonoscopy as a screening tool. Given the likely acceptability of having a blood based screening test, it is expected that participation rates in bowel cancer screening, which has been shown to save lives, will be greatly increased.Read moreRead less
Development Of Clinical Algorithms To Diagnose And Predict Prognosis Of Food Allergy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$136,636.00
Summary
Australia has the highest rate of food allergy internationally. Despite ongoing research into the area, there is currently no cure, with patient avoidance the most effective mode for the prevention of food allergy. A food challenge still the gold standard for food allergy diagnosis, and although definitive, is associated with a risk of anaphylaxis. My research aims to identify the biological differences between active disease and being healthy to develop novel diagnostic methods for food allergy
Hydatid disease is caused by a parasitic infection that is transmitted to people by animals. The disease causes substantial human morbidity and mortality worldwide, and is endemic in Australia. Currently available drugs are poorly effective against the parasite and treatment of the disease relies mainly on surgical removal of often large parasitic cysts, where this is possible. Blood tests to identify people who are infected rely on the use of parasite samples obtained from animals, which leads ....Hydatid disease is caused by a parasitic infection that is transmitted to people by animals. The disease causes substantial human morbidity and mortality worldwide, and is endemic in Australia. Currently available drugs are poorly effective against the parasite and treatment of the disease relies mainly on surgical removal of often large parasitic cysts, where this is possible. Blood tests to identify people who are infected rely on the use of parasite samples obtained from animals, which leads to difficulties with adequate supply of material and quality control. Research in this laboratory discovered that the hydatid parasite produces a protein that binds the drug cyclosporin A and that specific antibodies are made to this protein in hydatid patients. Preliminary research by others found that cyclosporin A had anti-parasitic effects on hydatid disease in an animal model system. This research project will examine in detail the characteristics of the cyclophilin protein and related proteins, in the hydatid parasite, their interaction with cyclosporin A, the effects of cyclosporin A on the parasite in defined culture conditions, the mechanism by which cyclosporin A exerts anti-parasitic effects and the prospects for use of cyclophilin in tests for the diagnosis of human hydatid disease. The research will contribute to a better understanding of the basic biology of this pathogen and may identify improved methods for the chemotherapy and diagnosis of infection.Read moreRead less
The Assessment Of Clinical And Molecular Adjunctive Tools For The Early Detection Of Oral Mucosal Neoplasia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$454,383.00
Summary
It is anticipated that this research will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the natural development of oral cancer and will thus have a direct benefit to patients. The proposed research will enable high quality genetic analysis of individual mutations of relevance to oral cancer via a rapid, reliable, economic, and sensitive screening assay for the assessment of a large number of suspicious oral mucosal lesions.