The Limb Bud As A Model For Gubernacular Migration During Inguinoscrotal Testicular Descent.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,073.00
Summary
This project examines the mechanism of descent of the testes from its original position inside the abdomen of the fetus to the scrotum in baby boys. When this process is abnormal, it leads to the common anomaly of undescended testes. Tha ultimate aim is to understand the process well enough to consider nonoperative treatment. The study will look at the tip of the gubernaculum, the ligament that anchors the testis to the groin early in development, and how it develops a growing tip that elongates ....This project examines the mechanism of descent of the testes from its original position inside the abdomen of the fetus to the scrotum in baby boys. When this process is abnormal, it leads to the common anomaly of undescended testes. Tha ultimate aim is to understand the process well enough to consider nonoperative treatment. The study will look at the tip of the gubernaculum, the ligament that anchors the testis to the groin early in development, and how it develops a growing tip that elongates towards the scrotum. The project will examine the factors controlling this process as well as the embryological mechanism involved.Read moreRead less
Minimising Disability And Falls In Older People Through A Post-hospital Individualised Exercise Program.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$536,435.00
Summary
This study aims to implement and evaluate the Functional Activities for Better Balance (FABB) program, a tailored exercise program which is designed to minimise disability and falls, among older adults who have recently had a hospital stay. A randomised controlled trial will be undertaken to determine the success of the program in minimising disability and falls and improving balance, muscle strength, and reaction time, quality of life and fear of falling. In addition, predictors of adoption of ....This study aims to implement and evaluate the Functional Activities for Better Balance (FABB) program, a tailored exercise program which is designed to minimise disability and falls, among older adults who have recently had a hospital stay. A randomised controlled trial will be undertaken to determine the success of the program in minimising disability and falls and improving balance, muscle strength, and reaction time, quality of life and fear of falling. In addition, predictors of adoption of and adherence to the exercise program and the cost effectiveness of the program will be established. We will recruit 350 older people in the first six months after an in-patient stay in aged care and rehabilitation wards at one of two large teaching hospitals. Participants randomised to the intervention group will be asked to complete an individualised home exercise program three times a week. In addition, they will be offered a choice between receiving monthly physiotherapy home visits or attending exercise classes. These weekly exercise classes will be conducted by physiotherapists and will be made up of 6-8 people. The control group will receive an education booklet about falls prevention and will be given the opportunity to join the program on a self-funding basis after their one-year control period is complete. Post-intervention between-group comparisons will be made using appropriate statistical techniques including regression models. Additional analyses will establish predictors for program adoption and adherence and cost-effectiveness (the incremental cost per fall prevented in the exercise group compared with the control group). This study addresses an increasingly important health care problem in a systematic manner and thus has the potential to substantially enhance the health of older people in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
The Role Of SOX14 In Limb Development And Human Limb Defects.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$257,606.00
Summary
Little is known about the mechanisms that control limb development. We have discovered a new gene which is active in the developing limb of the embryo. This study will provide information on how this new gene controls the development of the limb. Limb defects occur in 1 in 1,000 new-born babies. We believe the absence of our newly discovered gene may be responsible for some of these limb defects. Ultimately, this fundamental knowledge may lead to improved pre-natal diagnosis and better treament ....Little is known about the mechanisms that control limb development. We have discovered a new gene which is active in the developing limb of the embryo. This study will provide information on how this new gene controls the development of the limb. Limb defects occur in 1 in 1,000 new-born babies. We believe the absence of our newly discovered gene may be responsible for some of these limb defects. Ultimately, this fundamental knowledge may lead to improved pre-natal diagnosis and better treament for limb abnormalities.Read moreRead less
Dissecting The Role Of Hedgehog Signalling In Chondrogenesis And Skeletal Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,739.00
Summary
There are close to 400 inherited disorders that affect how the skeleton develops, as well as a range of injury and age-related skeletal defects. There is much interest in treating such abnormalities with artificial bone grown outside the body. In order to achieve this aim we must understand all of the processes involved in producing and maintaining bone within the body. We are using both mouse and cell culture models of skeletal development to increase our understanding of these processes.
Hedgehog Signalling In Limb And Craniofacial Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,544.00
Summary
Anomalies of the face and limbs are amongst the most common features of human birth defects, and their frequent association suggests that the same genes are involved in governing the development of the limbs and face during embryogenesis. We have used a genomics-based approach to identify genes involved in limb development based on their alteration in a mouse model which develops extra fingers and toes. Defects in this mouse result from changes in Gli3, a gene which is known to be important in b ....Anomalies of the face and limbs are amongst the most common features of human birth defects, and their frequent association suggests that the same genes are involved in governing the development of the limbs and face during embryogenesis. We have used a genomics-based approach to identify genes involved in limb development based on their alteration in a mouse model which develops extra fingers and toes. Defects in this mouse result from changes in Gli3, a gene which is known to be important in both limb and face development. Based on the organs in which our genes of interest are active, we believe that they will also play key roles in embryonic development of the limbs, face and other organs. We now plan to investigate the regulation of a subset of these genes based on analysis in mouse models of limb and face development. In addition, we have chosen to further analyse the function of a completely novel gene we have identified which our preliminary studies suggest may play a role in the normal development of the lip and palate. These studies have the potential to shed light on the processes governing how organs develop, as well as on the molecular basis of common birth defects such as polydactyly (extra fingers and toes) and cleft palate.Read moreRead less