The Investigation Of Immune Function In Mice Deficient In RNA-binding Molecules.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,737.00
Summary
Our immune system is delicately balanced between fighting off bugs and destroying infected cells yet protecting healthy cells within the body. The ways in which the immune system responds to attack is regulated by certain genes within the body. This project is focussing on cutting edge research that describes a newly identified way of fine-tuning the immune system. We are studying RNA-binding molecules that can bind to and block genes involved in immune function.
Identification Of Therapy-resistant Cells Driving Relapse In Medulloblastoma From Integrated Spatial Transcriptomics And Tissue Imaging
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$749,272.00
Summary
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common cause of cancer related mortality in children, with relapsed MB nearly a universally fatal event. Relapsed MB can be caused by pre-existing rare cells that escape treatment and continue to evolve. This project will identify the organisation of all cell types within patient derived xenograft models of MB, monitoring how this changes throughout tumour progression and drug treatment. We will identify rare cells responsible for driving recurrence.
I am a molecular pharmacologist investigating how the body eliminates fat-soluble chemicals, including drugs, toxins, steroids and waste products of metabolism.
Patient Toxicity Prediction: Identification Of Mucosal Injury Mediators Using Microarray Technology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$292,639.00
Summary
There is no effective way to identify all patients that will develop toxic side-effects during the course of their cancer treatment. Current pharmacogenetic testing is too narrow. This project aims to examine whole-genome profiles of patient blood to determine if risk markers of toxicity can be identified prior to beginning treatment. I will do this by comparing oesophageal cancer patients who go on to develop severe toxicity with those who only get mild treatment side-effects.
Prof Harvey is a cardiac developmental biologist working on the molecular and anatomical basis of heart development and congenital heart disease, and of pluripotency and regenerative potential in adult cardiac stem cells.
I am a bioinformatician conducting methodological research in statistical functional genomics. I use designed experiments involving highthroughput gene expression technologies to make inferences about gene function and to make discoveries of medical signi
Transcription-based Identification Of Insulin Resistance Subtypes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$341,883.00
Summary
A key feature of type 2 diabetes is the failure of metabolic tissues such as muscle and fat to respond to normal levels of insulin. This 'insulin resistance' is caused by a number of mechanisms. We will use cutting-edge technology to identify small sets of genes that define each variety of insulin resistance. These gene sets will be used to diagnose sub-types of insulin resistance and will facilitate the development of personalised therapies to effectively treat individuals with type 2 diabetes.
The properties of Vegf-B suggest that it may play a role in new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) especially during the development of the heart. Mice with the Vegf-b gene deleted are viable and fertile but display cardiac dysfunction as the animals age and in experimental conditions of ischemia. Comparison of total gene expression in the hearts of mice lacking Vegf-B with those of normal mice will identify genes involved in blood vessel formation during cardiac development and maintenance. ....The properties of Vegf-B suggest that it may play a role in new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) especially during the development of the heart. Mice with the Vegf-b gene deleted are viable and fertile but display cardiac dysfunction as the animals age and in experimental conditions of ischemia. Comparison of total gene expression in the hearts of mice lacking Vegf-B with those of normal mice will identify genes involved in blood vessel formation during cardiac development and maintenance. The genes identified will be targets for designing potential new drugs and therapies for cardiovascular disease.Read moreRead less
High-Throughput Screening Of The Genome And Proteome In Postmortem CNS From Subjects With Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$553,190.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric illness that effects ~1% of the Australia population. The underlying pathology of the illness remains unknown. This application seeks funding to use new technologies to screen approximately 60% of the expressed human genome and proteome to determine which genes are being differentially expressed in two regions thought to be important in generating the symptoms of the illness, the frontal cortex and hippocampus. This project will generate a large amount of d ....Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric illness that effects ~1% of the Australia population. The underlying pathology of the illness remains unknown. This application seeks funding to use new technologies to screen approximately 60% of the expressed human genome and proteome to determine which genes are being differentially expressed in two regions thought to be important in generating the symptoms of the illness, the frontal cortex and hippocampus. This project will generate a large amount of data, however by comparing the data from subjects with schizophrenia to that from control subjects and subjects with bipolar disorder who were psychotic and being treated with antipsychotic drugs close to death will allow us to identify changes that are specific to schizophrenia. Genes that are expressing different levels of mRNA and protein will become prime targets for future investigations as they are likely to be central to the pathology of the illness.Read moreRead less
Identification Of Genes Involved In Neural Crest Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$482,310.00
Summary
Knowledge of the genes that during embryonic development control the way our bodies form is necessary to understanding how our body systems function in health and disease. However, research on the developmental genetics of vertebrates, including humans, has proceeded very indirectly, mostly by looking for genes similar to those found in other biological systems, most notably the fruit fly. The significance of this research is that it will identify developmental genes directly from the chosen ver ....Knowledge of the genes that during embryonic development control the way our bodies form is necessary to understanding how our body systems function in health and disease. However, research on the developmental genetics of vertebrates, including humans, has proceeded very indirectly, mostly by looking for genes similar to those found in other biological systems, most notably the fruit fly. The significance of this research is that it will identify developmental genes directly from the chosen vertebrate body system as it develops. As a body system we will choose one of the most basic building blocks of the very early nervous system. This building block is an embryonic organ called the Neural Crest that later goes on to form important parts of the nervous system, but in addition it also forms major parts of the head and face, glands in the neck, the large arteries leading out from the heart, and pigment cells (melanocytes) in the skin. It is particularly important to gain insight into development of this organ because the tissues that derive from the neural crest are the most at risk for birth defects and for childhood cancers. Knowledge of neural crest development also tells us about our own evolution, because the neural crest is the only major system found only in vertebrates including humans.Read moreRead less