Mechanisms Of Central Nervous System Disease Induced By Dysregulated Interferon Signalling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$618,165.00
Summary
Interferons are proteins that on one hand have been found to protect cells against infectious agents such as viruses but on the other can cause injury and disease in the brain. In this project the way in which interferons affect the brain to bring about these outcomes will be studied. The results of this work will advance our understanding of how interferons function and may lead to better approaches for combating immune and infectious diseases of the nervous system.
Identifying Genes In The HLA Complex That Influence Clinical Course And Susceptibility In Multiple Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$725,177.00
Summary
There is no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), but a person's genetic make-up can influence their susceptibility to developing MS and the symptoms of their condition. Knowing more about these MS genes will help to a) provide better advice concerning a person's risk of developing the disease or their prognosis b) in the design of new treatments. This project aims to identify 'MS genes in a region of the human genome call the HLA complex.
A group of bacteria called Neisseria cause human-specific infections. To initiate infection, the bacteria must produce a hair-like surface structure, the pilus. The pilus consists mainly of a protein called pilin, and we now understand how pilin production is controlled. However 20 other genes are also involved in pilus production. This project aims to understand how these other genes are controlled and coordinated to assemble this structure that is central to the ability to cause disease.
Glycosylation Of Pili In Pathogenic Neisseria: Function In Disease And Potential As A Vaccine Antigen
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,880.00
Summary
Disease caused by Group B Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae remain a significant health problem worldwide. There are currently no vaccines available for either of these bacteria. A surface structure found on these bacteria, called pili, are key in host colonisation and disease. Genetics and structural studies have identified that the protein subunits, which make up pili, are glycosylated - modified by the addition of sugars. The role of glycosylation in the disease process is not ....Disease caused by Group B Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae remain a significant health problem worldwide. There are currently no vaccines available for either of these bacteria. A surface structure found on these bacteria, called pili, are key in host colonisation and disease. Genetics and structural studies have identified that the protein subunits, which make up pili, are glycosylated - modified by the addition of sugars. The role of glycosylation in the disease process is not known. It is possible that the glycosylation of pili is required for attachment to host cells or perhaps in evasion of the immune system. In our current studies, we have identified and analysed a number of genes involved in pili glycosylation, in bacteria which make structre that are know. We have also identified a series of new genes we believe are also involved in glycosylation. Some of these genes are involved in the biosynthesis of unknown structures and are common in bacteria isolated from patients with meningitis. We will identify these stuctures and characterise bacteria in which these genes have been inactivated so that we can examine the role of pili glycosylation in colonisation and disease. This study has the potential to yield important new information about the process of colonisation and disease, and also has the potential to facilitate novel approaches in vaccine development.Read moreRead less
From Brain Maps To Mechanisms: Modelling The Pathophysiology Of Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,513.00
Summary
As the brain ages, the relationship between its structure and function also changes. In this study, I will use detailed computational modelling and extensive analyses of brain dynamics to improve interventional strategies by: 1. Characterising healthy and unhealthy brain dynamics during ageing; 2. Classifying the various subtypes of pathological dynamics; and 3. Predicting pathological neurodegeneration by identifying the earliest signs of perturbations in healthy ageing.
Development And Epilepsy - Strategies For Innovative Research To Improve Diagnosis, Prevention And Treatment In Children With Difficult To Treat Epilepsy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,083.00
Summary
By deciphering pathophysiological mechanisms in epileptogenic developmental disorders and developing mechanism-related, and advanced therapeutic strategies, we expect to discover novel genes and related molecular pathways that are involved in epilepsy and similar disorders. DESIRE will also help preventing the development of the disease after potentially epileptogenic brain insults.
Prof Alan Connelly is an internationally recognised neuroimaging researcher specialising in MRI. His major areas of research are in the development of new methods to acquire and process MR images of both structural and functional aspects of the brain, and the application of these novel methods to clinical neuroscience problems. His work has had a major impact in the field of epilepsy, where techniques that he pioneered have been widely adopted in specialist epilepsy centres worldwide.
Computational Modelling To Understand Early-stage Neurodegeneration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Rather than attempting to reverse neurodegeneration, therapeutic strategies must target the earliest possible stages of disease, when treatments have the potential to prevent or slow down pathological progression. The proposed project will employ computational modelling using functional MRI to deliver highly efficient and sensitive markers of Familial Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease progression to inform when in the progression of disease clinical trials should take place.
Targeting Tau Phosphorylation To Treat And Prevent Acquired Epilepsy, Neurodegeneration And Neuropsychiatric Disease Following A Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$524,820.00
Summary
This project will explore a new approach to the prevention and treatment of epilepsy and the associated mental health disorders following a brain injury. This involves inhibiting pathological forms of the Tau protein, which has been implicated in the development of epilepsy and neurodegeneration. The drug that will be tested in this study has already been demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated in humans, meaning that a positive result from these studies could be expediently translated into c ....This project will explore a new approach to the prevention and treatment of epilepsy and the associated mental health disorders following a brain injury. This involves inhibiting pathological forms of the Tau protein, which has been implicated in the development of epilepsy and neurodegeneration. The drug that will be tested in this study has already been demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated in humans, meaning that a positive result from these studies could be expediently translated into clinical studies.Read moreRead less