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A New Virus Causing Acute Gastroenteritis In Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$575,374.00
Summary
Diarrhoea is very common, especially in children but a cause is often not found. Believing there must be undiscovered viruses responsible, we developed a new method to look for them, and discovered one, which we have named adelavirus, in 17% of children with diarrhoea presenting to the WCH, Adelaide, over a 3 month period. 55% were hospitalised. This project proposes to investigate how widespread adelavirus infection is in the community and investigate how a vaccine might be developed.
Involvement Of Interstitial Cells Of Cajal In The Pathogenesis Of Diabetic Gastroparesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$386,104.00
Summary
Diabetics commonly suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating and nausea. We have preliminary evidence that interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which are essential for normal gut motility, are particularly vunerable to damage in diabetes. The goal of this study is to determine how the loss of ICC in diabetes leads to delayed gastric emptying. Our overall aim is to identify potential therapeutic targets for improved treatment of diabetes-related gastrointestinal motility disorders.
The Knotty Problem Of Enterochromaffin Cells And Gastro-intestinal Function: Unravelling Cause And Effect
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$403,097.00
Summary
It is crucial to understand how the food we eat controls the secretions and movements of a healthy or a diseased gastrointestinal (GI) system. One way control is achieved involves the release of serotonin (5-HT) from the enterochromaffin cells present in the epithelial lining of the intestine. This is the subject of our proposal and our results will help us to understand the causes of GI disorders and help to formulate new treatments.
Cell Surface Mucins In Gastrointestinal Mucosal Innate Immunity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,500.00
Summary
Epithelial cell surface mucins are large complex proteins found on the surface of all mucosal epithelial tissues, for example in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, reproductive and urinary tracts. We have recently identified three of the seven genes currently known to produce this type of molecule. We propose that mucins have a very important role in maintaining the barrier between potentially infectious microorganisms often present in epithelial tracts and the internal organs. We also believe t ....Epithelial cell surface mucins are large complex proteins found on the surface of all mucosal epithelial tissues, for example in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, reproductive and urinary tracts. We have recently identified three of the seven genes currently known to produce this type of molecule. We propose that mucins have a very important role in maintaining the barrier between potentially infectious microorganisms often present in epithelial tracts and the internal organs. We also believe that these molecules trigger epithelial cell defensive responses to the presence of microorganisms. The proposed research aims to prove these propositions and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying function of cell surface mucins. Understanding the function of cell surface mucins could lead to the development of new drugs to treat epithelial inflammation such as that seen in inflammatory bowel diseases and respiratory diseases such as asthma and cystic fibrosis.Read moreRead less
Spatio-temporal Analysis Of Rat Intestinal Motility In Physiological And Disease Models
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,750.00
Summary
This project addresses the question of how the movements of the gut are controlled in health and disease. The progress of food along the gut is due to movements of the involuntary muscle of the wall of the intestine. Three fundamental mechanisms are involved. One is the spontaneous ability of the intestinal muscle to contract rhythmically and is driven by a delicate net of pacemaker cells. Fast propulsion of food contents depends on nerve circuits in the gut wall that generate a powerful pumping ....This project addresses the question of how the movements of the gut are controlled in health and disease. The progress of food along the gut is due to movements of the involuntary muscle of the wall of the intestine. Three fundamental mechanisms are involved. One is the spontaneous ability of the intestinal muscle to contract rhythmically and is driven by a delicate net of pacemaker cells. Fast propulsion of food contents depends on nerve circuits in the gut wall that generate a powerful pumping behaviour to prevent over-filling or to eject toxic or irritating substances (eg: some laxatives activate this mechanisms). This is often called peristalsis. A third mechanism consists of activity of nerve cells in the gut, that slowly propagates along the intestine and causes the muscle to contract, sweeping along any remnants. The movements generated by these three mechanisms occur in segments of intestine isolated from rats. The major difficulty up until now has been to relate the actual movements in living animals to these fundamental mechanisms. It is now possible to bridge this gap because we have developed methods to record, display and measure graphically the actual movements. Movements are transformed into spatio-temporal maps which show all of the contractions over a period of time. Coordinated activity is visible in these maps as recognisable patterns or visual objects. Measurements can be readily made with conventional statistics. The literature in gastroenterology is full of descriptions of motility based on indirect methods of recordings. In this project we will be able to correlate the previous indirect methods with the new graphic methods and thus establish a clearer, simpler and more accurate classification of normal patterns of intestinal motility. We will then use this to establish what goes wrong in a number of experimental diseases known to affect adversely the movements of the intestine.Read moreRead less