Vascular Targeting Combined With Radiosurgery In An Arteriovenous Malformation Rat Model
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$102,345.00
Summary
Cerebral arteriovenous malformations are an important cause of stroke and brain bleeds. In many patients such a stroke can result in severe disability or death. Current management involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and endovascular treatments and carry a high risk of complications. This research project suggests a new form of treatment whereby irradiating the vascular malformation a medication could be administered to cause targeted clotting of the malformation.
Determining The Impact Of Cytotoxic Therapies On The Bone Marrow Microenvironment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$621,499.00
Summary
Treatments for cancers result in markedly impaired blood cell production. Non-blood cell types within the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment are important to the regulation of blood cell production. We have evidence these cancer treatments also damage the BM microenvironment. We aim to fully explore how cancer treatments impact on the BM microenvironment. We can then determine how to improve recovery of the BM microenvironment in order to rapidly restore blood cell production after treatment.
Is CYP11A1 Critical For The Vitamin D Photoprotective System In Skin?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$517,567.00
Summary
Sunlight produces DNA damage. When inadequately repaired, this damage produces skin cancer. The vitamin D system in skin helps protect against this skin damage, but the vitamin D compounds involved and how they work is unclear. Recent data shows new vitamin D compounds with photoprotective activity and that vitamin D compounds increased expression of DNA repair proteins. These studies may enable pharmacological enhancement of protection from sunlight.
Identifying The Mechanism Of The G2 Phase UV Checkpoint And Repair Response Commonly Defective In Melanoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$569,656.00
Summary
The UV component of sunlight is the major environmental factor driving the development of melanoma. UV radiation can directly mutate genes resulting in their inability to perform normal functions which may contribute to cancer. Despite the high number of mutations directly attributable to UV radiation, the mechanisms known to repair these mutations are generally normal in melanoma. This research will investigate a repair mechanism we have identified that is commonly defective in melanomas.
Narrow Band UVB Phototherapy For Patients With Clinically Isolated Syndrome: A Phase 1 Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$682,803.00
Summary
The environment, particularly lack of sunlight exposure, contributes to the incidence and progression of multiple sclerosis. We will give patients with early multiple sclerosis controlled exposure to ultraviolet light and then measure biomarkers of their disease activity over the next 12 months. The therapy is safe and is used for treatment of patients with psoriasis. Patients should gain benefits from sunlight-induced vitamin D, as well as other sunlight-induced molecules.
Pterygia, one of the most common ocular complaints in Australia and worldwide, are thought to originate from overexposure to UV light. We propose that UV-irradiation stimulate certain cells in the eye to produce cytokines, growth factors and enzymes which degrade scaffold proteins such as collagens. These enzymes may play a key role in the progressive and invasive nature of pterygia. Dissecting the mechanism(s) by which UV light induces these proteins will lead to new and more reliable therapies ....Pterygia, one of the most common ocular complaints in Australia and worldwide, are thought to originate from overexposure to UV light. We propose that UV-irradiation stimulate certain cells in the eye to produce cytokines, growth factors and enzymes which degrade scaffold proteins such as collagens. These enzymes may play a key role in the progressive and invasive nature of pterygia. Dissecting the mechanism(s) by which UV light induces these proteins will lead to new and more reliable therapies for the treatment of pterygia.Read moreRead less
Determination Of Irradiation Dose Efficacy For Use In Impaction Grafting At Revision Joint Replacement
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$411,517.00
Summary
Primary hip replacement is a successful intervention for hip disease, but 10-15% of hip prostheses fail and require revision surgery within 10-15 years. At the time of revision, significant bone loss around the failed prosthesis is not uncommon. A bone reconstruction procedure, called impaction grafting, where donor bone is minced and placed in the areas of deficient bone before implanting the new prosthesis, has shown to give good results at more than ten years in some centres. A high incidence ....Primary hip replacement is a successful intervention for hip disease, but 10-15% of hip prostheses fail and require revision surgery within 10-15 years. At the time of revision, significant bone loss around the failed prosthesis is not uncommon. A bone reconstruction procedure, called impaction grafting, where donor bone is minced and placed in the areas of deficient bone before implanting the new prosthesis, has shown to give good results at more than ten years in some centres. A high incidence of early complications of this procedure have included loss of fixation within the bone. Fracture of the bone around prostheses has also reported in some centres. These events require more surgery, putting the patient at higher risk greater complications and longer rehabilitations. Recent improvements in surgical technique and donor bone preparation have improved results. A current debate questions whether the dose of irradiation can be reduced from 25 kGy, while maintaining sterility of allografts. The risk of bacterial contamination in allografts is low, and irradiation reduces the mechanical strength of the graft, contributing to complications when irradiated bone is used. The benefits of decontaminating the bone may be outweighed by the higher risk for failure due to poor bone quality and resulting prosthesis instability. We will use ISO standards to test the validity of radiation dose for sterilising bone ex vivo. In the absence of controlled human studies, our aim is also to compare the results of impaction grafting with non-irradiated bone versus bone irradiated at current doses used by Australian bone banks, and lower doses indicated by ex vivo testing. We will use a large animal model of revision hip replacement, with precise measures of prosthesis stability. The results of this study will guide clinical decisions regarding the efficacy of current bone graft preparation procedures and the use of irradiated bone in human hip replacement surgery.Read moreRead less
The Ability Of Sunscreens To Protect Against The Induction Of Solar Irradiation-induced Melanocytic Naevi In Vivo.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$106,854.00
Summary
Melanoma is an increasing problem in Australia. Strong evidence supports the finding that the number of moles on skin is a good indicator of future melanoma risk and a short term marker of adverse reactions to melanoma-inducing sun exposure in humans. While recommendations for sun protection have been proposed for many years, it is currently unknown what component of sunlight induces melanoma or whether sunscreens protect against the formation of melanoma. Using an animal model for human moles o ....Melanoma is an increasing problem in Australia. Strong evidence supports the finding that the number of moles on skin is a good indicator of future melanoma risk and a short term marker of adverse reactions to melanoma-inducing sun exposure in humans. While recommendations for sun protection have been proposed for many years, it is currently unknown what component of sunlight induces melanoma or whether sunscreens protect against the formation of melanoma. Using an animal model for human moles of the skin we aim in contributing to the answers of these two questions .Read moreRead less