Molecular Characterization Of SEIPIN Function: Implications For Lipogenesis And Adipogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$767,468.00
Summary
Obesity and type II diabetes have become a major health threat to Australians. This project aims to understand how fat is made and stored. Results from this research may lead to novel therapeutic strategies against obesity and diabetes.
Many drugs modulate the function of proteins imbedded in cell membranes. Extensive research has been undertaken to better understand drug interactions with these proteins to improve drug therapies, but there has been relatively little progress in understanding the role of the cell membrane. This project will investigate how the cell membrane influences protein function and then use this information to develop novel drugs for the treatment of neurological disorders.
Glycine Transport Inhibitors For The Treatment Of Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$923,660.00
Summary
Chronic pain is particularly difficult to treat. Whilst currently used opioid drugs are effective in acute pain, they are either ineffective in chronic pain or have considerable side effects. In this project we will develop a new class of analgesics that have a different mechanism of action to traditional analgesics. It is hoped that these new drugs will provide long term pain relief without debilitating side effects.
The proposed research project involves a fundamental biochemical and biophysical investigation of a protein (ABCA4) intimately involved in the visual process. The precise role of ABCA4 in vision has not yet been elucidated, although evidence suggests a role as a lipid translocase in the retinal regenerative pathway. Our primary objective is to provide direct evidence for this putative role.
Altered Myelin Sphingolipid Homeostasis In Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$629,532.00
Summary
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and its incidence is rising as the population ages. This project will provide a detailed analysis and explanation for the loss of particular lipid (fat) molecules that are essential for myelin integrity, in the brains of AD patients. Myelin is the insulating layer that surrounds brain cells, facilitating the transmission of electrical signals. This research will improve our understanding of how brain functions are impaired in AD.
A Molecular Investigation Into Lipid-reactive Immunity To Combat Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$628,152.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) infection currently causes ~1.5 million deaths annually. Due to new survival features acquired by the causative agent (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), traditional TB drugs and vaccines are becoming inefficient. Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a protective lipid-dense cell wall that is targeted by our immune system. We aim to understand the mechanisms of the lipid-mediated immune response to TB in order to develop more effective strategies to combat this disease.
Restoring Neuroprotective Sphingosine 1-phosphate Signalling In Alzheimer’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$857,656.00
Summary
Our research team has recently shown that a vital signalling lipid called S1P is lost from the brains of people who are in the early stages of developing Alzheimer's Disease. S1P protects brain cells against toxic insults that cause Alzheimer's Disease. This project will investigate how loss of S1P sensitizes people to the development of Alzheimer’s Disease, and the effectiveness of clinical drugs that restore S1P signals in protecting against Alzheimer’s Disease and restoring brain function.
A New Target For Allergic Inflammation: The Sphingolipid Pathway
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$588,617.00
Summary
Collectively, allergic diseases contribute immensely to the burden of health care in Australia. Notably, allergic reactions are symptomatic responses to a normally innocuous environmental antigen. Allergic diseases include asthma, hay fever, food allergy, anaphylaxis, insect sting and drug allergy. This project aims to understand the underlying mechanisms associated with allergic reactions such that it may aid in the identification of novel targets for the development of new treatments.
Metabolic Stress Sensing By AMPK: Implications For Energy Balance And Isoform-targetting Therapeutics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$632,188.00
Summary
Metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease impose enormous medical and economic burdens on Western societies. Our research is focussed on the enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which acts as the fuel gauge of the cell and is a promising drug target for combating metabolic diseases. Our discoveries provide critical insight on how AMPK is switched on by both energy demand and drugs, and will greatly assist development of AMPK-targetted therapeutics.
ABCA1 _ An Intersection Between Infection, Atherosclerosis And Metabolic Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,827.00
Summary
Pathogens interfere with cellular cholesterol metabolism in order to support their lifecycle. Such interference may cause diseases not usually associated with infection, like cardiovascular disease. Restoring normal cholesterol metabolism may help treating infection and its metabolic consequences. We will investigate molecular, cellular and physiological mechanisms of interaction of pathogens with cholesterol metabolism to find a key point that can be targeted for therapeutic intervention.