BAFF And Its Receptors:contribution And Therapeutic Potential In Atherosclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$562,742.00
Summary
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory reaction to cholesterol in blood vessels. Despite cholesterol-lowering statins, atherosclerosis-based heart attacks and strokes remain a major cause of deaths. Studies of BAFF, a pro-inflammatory molecule can shed new light on the inflammation. As BAFF blockers are already in clinical trials to treat inflammatory diseases, our study has potential to lead to using BAFF blockers to treat human atherosclerosis.
How The Kidney Is Injured By CD8+ Cells In Vasculitis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$928,780.00
Summary
People with severe kidney disease often have inflammation in the small blood vessels within their kidneys, known as vasculitis. Human observational studies suggest that a type of immune cell, the CD8+ cell, may be critical to disease outcome, but there is no functional evidence for this. The current studies will define the role of these CD8+ cells in disease so that better treatments for humans with vasculitis can be considered.
Pharmacogenomics And Mechanistic Basis Of Drug Hypersensitivity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$677,220.00
Summary
Drug allergy causes physical harm, anxiety and may limit treatment options. We introduced personalised genetic testing to prevent one such drug hypersensitivity. Genetic information from patients who have had adverse drug reactions will be used to work out how drugs trigger severe allergic reactions and develop strategies to predict these reactions and design safer drugs. This research has relevance to our understanding of other inflammatory disease such as autoimmune disease and multiple sclero ....Drug allergy causes physical harm, anxiety and may limit treatment options. We introduced personalised genetic testing to prevent one such drug hypersensitivity. Genetic information from patients who have had adverse drug reactions will be used to work out how drugs trigger severe allergic reactions and develop strategies to predict these reactions and design safer drugs. This research has relevance to our understanding of other inflammatory disease such as autoimmune disease and multiple sclerosis.Read moreRead less
Characterisation Of T-cell Responses In Drug Hypersensitivity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,338.00
Summary
Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DIHS) are a catastrophic form of adverse drug reaction. This study will use the drug abacavir, a cause of drug hypersensitivity to examine the way certain immune cells react and determine whether responses to viruses that are persistent in our bodies play a role these development of these reactions. This will help inform the immunological basis of DIHS as well as new treatments and potential ways of identifying drugs likely to cause these reactions in the pre-mar ....Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DIHS) are a catastrophic form of adverse drug reaction. This study will use the drug abacavir, a cause of drug hypersensitivity to examine the way certain immune cells react and determine whether responses to viruses that are persistent in our bodies play a role these development of these reactions. This will help inform the immunological basis of DIHS as well as new treatments and potential ways of identifying drugs likely to cause these reactions in the pre-marketing phase of drug development.Read moreRead less
Immunotherapy is a new approach to treat cancer, and works by promoting the immune system to attack cancer. Immunotherapies, such as checkpoint blockade and adoptive T cell therapy, are proving to be very successful in certain human cancers. However, combining immunotherapy with drugs that cause cancer cell death may be more effective. This project will investigate the potential of combining immunotherapy with a novel anti-cancer drug, in order to develop more effective treatments for cancer.
A Theoretical Framework For Chemotherapy And Immunosuppression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,028.00
Summary
The team has discovered that potential alternative cell fates behave like autonomous timers, and are in competition in every cell. Variation in selected times within each cell alters the proportion that that die, divide or change into another cell type. The team have produced computational models of cell growth applicable to the immune response and cancer. Here they will apply their discovery to measure the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs and develop new protocols for enhancing the use of such ....The team has discovered that potential alternative cell fates behave like autonomous timers, and are in competition in every cell. Variation in selected times within each cell alters the proportion that that die, divide or change into another cell type. The team have produced computational models of cell growth applicable to the immune response and cancer. Here they will apply their discovery to measure the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs and develop new protocols for enhancing the use of such drugs in the clinic.Read moreRead less
During an immune response a white blood cell, the T lymphocyte, receives a series of signals that manipulate cell survival and proliferation. The team at WEHI will identify the effects of key signals on the molecular control of T cell survival. The results will be used to test a new method for inducing tolerance and dampening unwanted immune responses, such as during tissue graft rejection and autoimmunity.
Viral Antigen Presentation Kinetics And Memory T Cell Inflation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$503,753.00
Summary
The ageing of the population is one of the major transformations being experienced by Australia’s population which will have major health implications. Recent studies have shown that many elderly individuals display ‘immune risk phenotype’ (IRP) which is characterised by a severely distorted immune system and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. In this project we will investigate the mechanisms by which CMV alters cellular immune system and thus impacts on the host immunity against other path ....The ageing of the population is one of the major transformations being experienced by Australia’s population which will have major health implications. Recent studies have shown that many elderly individuals display ‘immune risk phenotype’ (IRP) which is characterised by a severely distorted immune system and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. In this project we will investigate the mechanisms by which CMV alters cellular immune system and thus impacts on the host immunity against other pathogens.Read moreRead less
The immune system is the essential complex barrier that protects the organism for infections and some malignancies. Despite considerable efforts, the mechanism by which immune cells kill dangerous unwanted cells is poorly understood. This project will investigate the mechanism of action and the role in human pathologies of a key component of the immune system, a toxic protein perforin.
Priming, Recruitment And Retention Of Influenza Virus Specific CD8 T Cells In The Upper Airways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$633,371.00
Summary
Influenza virus gains entry into the body by inhalation and initiates its replication cycle within the upper airways. This early stage of infection, when the amount of influenza virus is low, provides the ideal window of opportunity for an effective immune response to limit disease progression. In this proposal we will define the immunity that can be evoked within the upper airways and determine immune mechanisms left behind that can safeguard this region from this important respiratory pathogen