Pushing AR Toward Better Outcomes In Breast And Prostate Cancers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$998,754.00
Summary
Breast and prostate cancers kill >6000 Australians each year. These cancers are strikingly similar, both driven by hormone receptors that have ‘gone bad’. Current therapies aim to eradicate the receptors. While often effective, therapeutic resistance is common and results in fatal disease. We aim to develop new, less toxic treatments that switch receptor behaviour from good to bad, without destroying them. This should improve quality of life, while preventing drug resistance and loss of lives ....Breast and prostate cancers kill >6000 Australians each year. These cancers are strikingly similar, both driven by hormone receptors that have ‘gone bad’. Current therapies aim to eradicate the receptors. While often effective, therapeutic resistance is common and results in fatal disease. We aim to develop new, less toxic treatments that switch receptor behaviour from good to bad, without destroying them. This should improve quality of life, while preventing drug resistance and loss of lives.Read moreRead less
Why Is The Bone Marrow A “hot-spot” For Myeloma Plasma Cell Metastasis: Are There Gremlins In The System?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$651,979.00
Summary
Most cancer patients die because their cancer spreads from a primary site to other tissues in the body. Once escaping the primary site, 70% of all tumours will spread to bone. This raises the question, why is bone a preferred destination for cancer cells? We provide evidence that Gremlin1, made by non-cancer cells within bone, is a key protein that supports cancer growth. This study will examine whether inhibiting Gremlin1 is a potential therapy to inhibit cancer spreading to bone.
Ketamine Therapy Among Patients With Treatment-resistant Depression: A Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,069,382.00
Summary
In the last decade, there have been reports of powerful antidepressant effects after a single injection of anaesthetic ketamine, with dramatic (though shortlasting) effects within 24 hours. This will be the first controlled study to test whether a course of repeated ketamine treatments, given over 4 weeks, is effective and safe in treating depression.
Targeting Microtubules To Overcome Chemoresistance In Pancreatic Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,336.00
Summary
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with a dismal prognosis because it is extremely resistant to chemotherapy agents. We plan to examine the expression of proteins called microtubules in pancreatic cancer and assess their role in drug resistance. It is anticipated that the findings of these studies will lead to the development of effective approaches to sensitise the cancer cells to chemotherapy agents.
Targeting Drug-Resistance In Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$649,048.00
Summary
Leukaemia is the most common type of cancer in children but resistance to therapy continues to be a significant problem. This project will investigate the biology of drug-resistance and relapse using a mouse model that replicates the human disease. We hope to identify novel therapeutic targets that can be used in combination with existing therapies to improve outcomes in this disease, particularly for patients that develop drug-resistance such as those at the time of relapse.
A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Effectiveness Of 4RIF And 9INH For Treatment Of Latent TB Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,875.00
Summary
Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is one intervention that is known to prevent the occurrence of active TB. Current treatment is based on a six to nine month course of isoniazid. The treatment has side effects in some people and many people do not complete the treatment. The present study is to test an alternative treatment regimen (4 months of rifampicin) which has fewer side-effects and is more likely to be completed.
Anti-sporulation Strategies For Clostridium Difficile Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$651,559.00
Summary
Hospital-acquired infections with the bacterium Clostridium difficile are a major global public health concern with highly virulent isolates emerging overseas in 2002 and in Australia in 2010. These strains have spread through our hospitals and are also found in the community. This project will increase our understanding of how these strains spread and will provide knowledge that is critical for developing improved strategies for preventing these infections.
A New Direction For TB Control In Highly Endemic Countries: A RCT Of Active Case Finding
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,362,910.00
Summary
Tuberculosis is the number 1 health problem in Vietnam . Many people with TB do not know they have the disease but are infectious to others. Hence, the disease continues to spread. This project will investigate the role of x-ray screening to detect and treat more people with TB, particularly those who do not have symptoms. This may be an important element of future TB control programs in Vietnam and elsewhere in our region.
Real Time Models To Inform Prevention And Control Of Emerging Infectious Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$549,728.00
Summary
This proposed research addresses the need for real-time tracking of emerging infectious diseases (EID), both spatially and temporally, to inform international and national outbreak response teams, aid in the implementation of real-time containment strategies and ultimately the timely control of emerging infectious diseases. Outcomes will directly enhance & inform policy-making and EID preparedness at a national and international level.
Evaluating Cancer Screening: Context, Evidence, Values And Ethics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$572,460.00
Summary
The research and clinical communities are divided over whether certain forms of cancer screening do more harm than good. This project asks: What is the right thing to do about cancer screening now? Using robust qualitative methodologies, we will study real cases of cancer screening and analyse their ethical implications. Drawing on this data and analysis, we will produce tools to help policy-makers, consumers and professionals make good decisions about cancer screening in future.