We have discovered that activating a cell surface protein increases blood sugar levels in mice. This might occur in diabetes and liver disease. We plan to (1) learn which activators of this protein increase glucose; (2) understand how they affect glucose metabolism; (3) study new inhibitors of this protein for blocking increased glucose production; (4) test the potential therapeutic benefits of blocking this protein in mouse models of type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Overcoming Breast Cancer Heterogeneity And Resistance Using A Novel Therapeutic Approach Targeting The Metastasis Suppressor NDRG1.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
Breast cancer (BrCa) is the leading cause of cancer death in women and current treatments suffer from development of resistance, leading to metastatic progression. I will assess a novel treatment strategy for BrCa, targeting a gene that is able to inhibit multiple key drivers of BrCa, using a novel potent and selective anti-cancer agent. This approach has the potential to overcome resistance to current therapies and alleviate the onset of metastasis, to improve prognosis for BrCa patients.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120103084
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Targeting bacterial superbugs: novel approaches for optimisation of antibiotic combinations and resistance prevention. This project will elucidate the mechanistic basis to optimally combine available beta-lactam antibiotics to prevent resistance of gram-negative 'superbugs'. The interdisciplinary project will substantially contribute to solving the global crisis due to multidrug-resistant bacteria and inform the design of effective new antibiotics.
Targeting an impending global disaster: the mismatch between increasingly drug-resistant superbugs and development of new antibiotics. This project will develop much-needed novel antibiotics for treating infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to all current antibiotics. It will make a significant contribution to the global medical challenge of a shortage of new antibiotics.
Targeting Bacterial ÏsuperbugsÍ By Innovative Combination Dosing Strategies And New Antibiotics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,650.00
Summary
This research project will elucidate the mechanistic basis to optimally combine available beta-lactam antibiotics to prevent resistance of gram-negative bacterial ïsuperbugsÍ. These mechanistic insights will be utilised to develop novel antibiotics that are active against these multidrug-resistant bacteria. The interdisciplinary project will substantially contribute to solving the global crisis due to multidrug-resistant bacteria and inform the design of effective new antibiotics.
Targeting Protease Activated Receptor 2 In Immunometabolism And Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$720,760.00
Summary
New approaches to prevent and treat obesity and metabolic diseases are National Health Priorities. Obesity is now recognised as an inflammatory disease. This project seeks new biomedical information to verify a new hypothesis that a protein (PAR2) on the surface of fat cells and immune cells is associated with the development of obesity and metabolic disorders.
A VAST potential for ion channel drug discovery. The purpose of this project is to bring innovation into the methods used for identifying and characterising novel carbohydrate-based compounds acting at ion channels. These molecules will have high potential to be developed as highly effective treatments for pain without the unpleasant side-effects associated with current treatments.
Efficacy profiling innovation in novel pain therapeutics discovery. The purpose of this project is to bring innovation into the methods used for selecting novel compounds with high potential for progression into development as highly effective pain-killers for improving the relief of chronic pain. This will result in new pain-killers that are highly effective without producing unpleasant side-effects.
Perturbation of the extracellular architecture to promote the absorption and lymphatic transport of biological macromolecules. Macromolecules therapeutics such as proteins, antibodies or polymer conjugates pose a number of pharmaceutical challenges. Where the dose is high, drainage of that dose from a subcutaneous injection site into the circulation, poses a particular problem. Here the project aims to explore how recombinant hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down a structural component (hya ....Perturbation of the extracellular architecture to promote the absorption and lymphatic transport of biological macromolecules. Macromolecules therapeutics such as proteins, antibodies or polymer conjugates pose a number of pharmaceutical challenges. Where the dose is high, drainage of that dose from a subcutaneous injection site into the circulation, poses a particular problem. Here the project aims to explore how recombinant hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down a structural component (hyaluronan) of the interstitum, can be used promote absorption into the draining blood and lymph capillaries. The project aims to also explore the downstream effects of hyaluronidase on lymph nodes and evaluate whether the enzyme is able to temporarily disrupt the lymph node structure and promote drug penetration into the lymph node mass. This has significant potential for improved drug targeting.Read moreRead less
Understanding the Cellular Pathways of Nuclear Receptor Activation. The success of drug treatment depends critically on specificity, i.e., stimulation of a therapeutic response at a target site, and avoidance of activity at other (potentially toxic) locations. This project aims to explore how drug interactions with binding proteins in the cytosol can induce nuclear transport and tissue specific activation of nuclear receptors - a major drug target. The project intends to employ molecular, struct ....Understanding the Cellular Pathways of Nuclear Receptor Activation. The success of drug treatment depends critically on specificity, i.e., stimulation of a therapeutic response at a target site, and avoidance of activity at other (potentially toxic) locations. This project aims to explore how drug interactions with binding proteins in the cytosol can induce nuclear transport and tissue specific activation of nuclear receptors - a major drug target. The project intends to employ molecular, structural and cell biology approaches to map drug-binding protein-receptor interactions and to determine how the structure of these complexes dictates receptor activation. The data could provide a roadmap to design drugs that interact with the right protein in the right tissue and in doing so dramatically enhance drug specificity.Read moreRead less