Identification Of Novel Therapeutic Binding Sites On Glycine Receptors By High Throughput Screening
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$542,017.00
Summary
Glycine receptors mediate inhibitory neurotransmission in the nervous system. They provide fresh therapeutic targets for chronic inflammatory pain and muscle spasticity. Here we identify 5 compounds that may be appropriate as leads for discovering novel therapies for these disorders. We will use automated high throughput screening methods to discover how these drugs interact with the receptor. This will narrow down the search for the next generation of analgesic and muscle relaxant drugs.
Systematic And Sensitized Screens For Novel Genes That Regulate The Neural Differentiation Of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,634.00
Summary
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are cells in the embryo that can transform into any cell type. Genes that direct mouse ES cells to transform into cells of the nervous system will be uncovered by selecting a group of likely suspects, and disrupting the DNA sequences of these genes to see whether neural differentiation occurs normally in their absence. The effects of the gene disruptions will be examined in the developing neural system of the mouse embryo.
Identifying Rare Genetic Variants Conferring Susceptibility To Multiple Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$293,898.00
Summary
Recently there has been success in identifying common genetic variants that confer susceptibility to multiple sclerosis. The variants that have been discovered so far have modest effects on risk of disease, and only explain a small proportion of familial aggregation of disease. In this study we aim to identify rarer genetic variants that have stronger effects on risk of disease, using new statistical methods and new methods to sequence very large amounts of DNA.
Targeting At Risk Relatives Of Glaucoma Patients For Early Diagnosis And Treatment (TARRGET)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$595,375.00
Summary
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in Australia but early detection and treatment can prevent blindness. We will recruit patients with advanced glaucoma from an Australia wide registry and refer their close relatives to have an eye exam and genetic testing to see if they are at risk of glaucoma. We will evaluate how a coordinator can improve the uptake of this screening program referring people to local eye care providers and in rural WA providing screening in 16 remote locations.
A Novel Multi-gene Marker Blood Test To Increase Community Participation In Colorectal Cancer Screening.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$581,116.00
Summary
Bowel cancer screening programs are vital for early detection and prevention, but participation with the traditional faecal testing mode is less than 35%. Reasons include dislike or unsuitability for faecal testing. These barriers could be overcome and participation could increase using a different sampling mode for the screening test. We have developed a blood test for bowel cancer and will investigate if people who will not screen with the stool test will screen with the blood test instead.
Centre For Research Excellence In Cervical Cancer Control (C4)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,486,383.00
Summary
Cervical cancer remains common globally despite over 50 years of Pap testing. Australia led the world in HPV vaccination and in 2017 will be the first to deliver a national screening program based on HPV testing. Our CRE, led by cervical cancer prevention experts at CCNSW,VCS, and Kirby, will marry cross-disciplinary research and evaluation of HPV vaccination and screening to provide solid evidence about these new approaches with a view to ultimately reducing the global burden of this cancer.
Neural Connectivity In Young People At High Risk Of Developing Psychosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$331,972.00
Summary
This project will investigate whether or not young people at high risk of developing psychosis show irregularities in the connections between different parts of their brain. It will also investigate whether information about a high-risk individual’s brain connectivity can be used to predict a) whether that person will make the transition to psychosis, and b) their clinical prognosis if they do become psychotic.
Population Based Genetic Testing For High-risk Breast And Ovarian Cancer Predisposition Genes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,112,985.00
Summary
Inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 confer a very high risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Importantly, once carriers are identified, effective strategies are available that can dramatically reduce the risk of cancer. We will perform genetic testing of a healthy western population to identify breast/ovarian cancer genes before the women develop cancer. Population-based screening could significantly reduce the incidence of these diseases.
Implementation Of A New, Inexpensive And High-throughput Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption / Ionization _ Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry Test For Superior Detection Of Fragile X Syndrome In Targeted Diagnostics And Newborn Population Screening.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$254,175.00
Summary
Background: The Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. There are now a number of treatments for FXS. However, often this disorder is not clearly recognized. We have developed a novel FXS test that could resolve this issue. Our objective is to develop a commercial package that describes suitability of our test for diagnostic use. If successful this could potentially leading to improvement in the prognosis for FXS children through early treatment int ....Background: The Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. There are now a number of treatments for FXS. However, often this disorder is not clearly recognized. We have developed a novel FXS test that could resolve this issue. Our objective is to develop a commercial package that describes suitability of our test for diagnostic use. If successful this could potentially leading to improvement in the prognosis for FXS children through early treatment intervention.Read moreRead less