Physical Determinants Of Lung Development Before And After Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$442,500.00
Summary
Survival at birth is critically dependent upon the ability of the lungs to take on the role of exchanging gases; a role previously performed by the placenta. The lungs must, therefore, have grown and matured sufficiently during fetal life, before they are required at the time of birth. Inadequate development of the lungs during fetal life is the most common cause of death and disease in newborn babies. This may be due to premature birth, when the lungs have had insufficient time to develop, or i ....Survival at birth is critically dependent upon the ability of the lungs to take on the role of exchanging gases; a role previously performed by the placenta. The lungs must, therefore, have grown and matured sufficiently during fetal life, before they are required at the time of birth. Inadequate development of the lungs during fetal life is the most common cause of death and disease in newborn babies. This may be due to premature birth, when the lungs have had insufficient time to develop, or it may be due to inappropriate lung development during fetal life. It is important therefore, to understand the mechanisms that control growth and development of the lung both before and after birth. During fetal life the lungs are filled with liquid which expands the lungs and provides a stretch stimulus causing them to grow. Previously we have shown that a reduction in the degree of fetal lung expansion causes lung growth to cease. Likewise, if we increase the degree of lung expansion in the fetus, we induce a rapid increase in fetal lung growth and maturation. This stimulus is so potent that it can reverse an existing lung growth deficit, thus enabling survival of the newborn. In this application we will investigate the mechanisms by which alterations in lung expansion induce growth and maturation of the lung. Specifically we will investigate the role of calmodulin in fetal lung growth, because the genes that encode it are activated when the lung cells are growing most rapidly. In addition, we will identify other genes that are turned on or off during rapid growth of the lung because those genes are likely to play important roles in the regulation of fetal lung growth and development. We will also investigate the underlying differences in the control of lung growth at different stages of gestation, as well as investigate factors that regulate lung growth after birth, particularly in prematurely born animals.Read moreRead less
Characterisation Of Cumulus Cell Molecular Mediators Of Oocyte Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$451,896.00
Summary
Many women are poorly fertile because of poor egg quality due to age, disease and lifestyle. IVF can assist, but requires large doses of hormone, which can lead to significant health risks. IVM is an alternative lab technique to IVF, but has very poor success. We discovered that synthetic proteins copied from recently discovered egg proteins can be added to the egg and substantially increase IVM success. Answering why will further will aid treatment for infertile women
Re-energising The Preimplantation Embryo To Extend Lifetime Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,156,936.00
Summary
Diseases of aging are associated with shortening at the ends of chromosomes called telomeres. The length of an individual’s telomeres is established during embryo development, and in situations where embryo development is compromised such as with maternal obesity the normal process of telomere lengthening may not occur. We will determine how such disruptions in embryo telomere lengthening contribute to poor health in adulthood and test ways to restore the natural process.
Advancing maternal age is associated with the progressive loss of fertility, increased miscarriage and a greater risk of bearing children with birth defects. These adverse reproductive outcomes result, in part, from the loss of egg quality with age. We aim to identify and characterise genes involved in the age-related decline in egg quality. The long-term goal of this research is to develop novel strategies to improve fertility outcomes for women who chose to delay pregnancy until later in life.
Dynamic Imaging Of The Immune Response In Lymph Nodes By Two-photon Microscopy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$79,514.00
Summary
Despite the enormous contribution of vaccination to the prevention of human disease and suffering, little is known about the laws that govern the selection and survival of B cells during the response to infection or vaccination. Our research projects aim to integrate several cutting-edge technologies, including two-photon microscopy, in order to understand the cellular and molecular basis of immunity.