Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a major chronic disease affecting over 100,000 Australians. Its treatment and complications impose a significant burden on affected individuals and their families and on the health system. T1D occurs when the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the islet cells of the pancreas. The team has developed ways to identify at-risk people, defined immune and genetic causes of T1D and is undertaking prevention trials and Australia's first islet transplant program. Th ....Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a major chronic disease affecting over 100,000 Australians. Its treatment and complications impose a significant burden on affected individuals and their families and on the health system. T1D occurs when the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the islet cells of the pancreas. The team has developed ways to identify at-risk people, defined immune and genetic causes of T1D and is undertaking prevention trials and Australia's first islet transplant program. Their multidisciplinary research is taking us closer to the prevention and cure of T1D.Read moreRead less
De Novo Mutations And The Pathogenesis Of Childhood-onset Autoimmune Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,406,510.00
Summary
This project aims to reveal the gene abnormalities that cause devastating autoimmune diseases to develop in some children, such as Type 1 diabetes, juvenile arthritis and autoimmune destruction of blood cells. The project will use new technologies to identify alterations in the DNA sequence of a child compared to either of their parents, and to test suspicious DNA alterations in laboratory mice in order to understand the gene effects and evaluate new treatments.
The Molecular Determinants Of Immunological Tolerance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$473,477.00
Summary
Autoimmune diseases, such as type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis, are debilitating disorders that impose a massive toll on wellbeing in Australia and worldwide. This fellowship will support research aimed at determining the genes and mechanisms that control autoimmunity. New technologies will be brought to bear to track immune cells throughout their development, maturity and malfunction in disease settings. We aim to uncover new therapeutic targets to prevent and reverse autoimmune disease.
Development of an ultrasensitive assay for human prion proteins. The aim of this work is to enable the detection of prion proteins in human blood and other tissues. The assay system to be developed will detect much lower levels of these disease-causing proteins than is possible at present; it will be more rapid and will measure prion protein levels more accurately than existing assays. The outcome of the work is expected to facilitate the production and certification of prion-free blood and bl ....Development of an ultrasensitive assay for human prion proteins. The aim of this work is to enable the detection of prion proteins in human blood and other tissues. The assay system to be developed will detect much lower levels of these disease-causing proteins than is possible at present; it will be more rapid and will measure prion protein levels more accurately than existing assays. The outcome of the work is expected to facilitate the production and certification of prion-free blood and blood products. Prions cause Bovine Spongiform Encaphalopathy and Creutzfeld Jacob Disease and attempts to control of these diseases would be greatly abetted by an optimal test for the disease-causing agent.Read moreRead less
How Does NF-kB2 Regulate Thymic Selection To Prevent Organ-specific Autoimmune Disease?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$787,600.00
Summary
Autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and thyroiditis arise from defects that cause the immune system to confuse self and non-self. Normally, this distinction is programmed in the thymus. We recently identified the gene that causes a form of autoimmune disease. We also made an important discovery about how the thymus gland regulates self-non-self discrimination. We will build on these two discoveries to gain a precise understanding of how the immune system normally avoids autoimmune disease.
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC220100035
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,958,927.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies . The toughest analytical science challenges typically require advanced analytical technologies to acquire the desired solutions. In the field of separation science this inevitably involves hyphenated separation technologies, specifically the combination of chromatography and mass spectrometry. Advancing this technology to its full capability requires the collaborative strength of academic, industry and end-user partnerships, ....ARC Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies . The toughest analytical science challenges typically require advanced analytical technologies to acquire the desired solutions. In the field of separation science this inevitably involves hyphenated separation technologies, specifically the combination of chromatography and mass spectrometry. Advancing this technology to its full capability requires the collaborative strength of academic, industry and end-user partnerships, providing the materials and inspiration for young researchers to apply novel hyphenated methods to complex environmental and industrial systems. This Centre will deliver fundamental developments in hyphenated technologies, new analytical capability, and applied outcomes across multiple end-user groups and interests. Read moreRead less
Transformational diagnostics. Australia has established world-leading capabilities in optical fibres and surface science that, when brought together, have the potential to transform applications that require non-invasive, real-time and/or portable biological detection tools. We propose a novel and ambitious suite of projects that bring together these capabilities with experts in reproductive health, forensics and explosives to solve pressing problems in each of these areas that have the promise ....Transformational diagnostics. Australia has established world-leading capabilities in optical fibres and surface science that, when brought together, have the potential to transform applications that require non-invasive, real-time and/or portable biological detection tools. We propose a novel and ambitious suite of projects that bring together these capabilities with experts in reproductive health, forensics and explosives to solve pressing problems in each of these areas that have the promise to develop into new industries for Australia as well as to explore rich science opportunities at the boundaries of these disciplines.Read moreRead less