Further Development Of The Clinical Potential Of H2 Relaxin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$651,768.00
Summary
The hormone relaxin mediates cardiovascular and kidney changes during pregnancy. These important functions have led to its current use in clinical trials for the treatment of acute heart failure, a condition affecting millions of patients worldwide. However, there is an urgent need for a longer lasting form of relaxin for prolonged treatment of patients. Our studies will focus on understanding the blood breakdown of the peptide to lead to the design of longer lasting relaxin analogues.
Development Of New Anticancer Drugs Using Sortase-mediated Ligation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$618,274.00
Summary
There is a great need for new cancer treatments. We are developing cyclic peptides as the next generation of safe and effective cancer drugs. Cyclic peptides, unlike their linear counterparts, display high stability and oral bioavailability, as well as high solubility and negligible immune response. One of the hurdles is the cyclisation process and we aim to develop enzyme-mediated cyclisation as a convenient and cost effective method for cyclic peptide production.
Improving Synthetic Methodology To Prepare Pre-clinical Analogues Of Human Insulin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$457,708.00
Summary
The glucose regulatory hormone, insulin, remains the only treatment for type I diabetes and up to 30% of type II diabetes, both of which are among the world’s fastest growing chronic diseases today. Because insulin, if taken orally, would be broken down quickly, it has usually been given by injection. This project will develop novel chemical methods for the efficient preparation of novel insulin therapeutics with improved stability and oral bioavailability for prolonged treatment of patients.