High Spatial Resolution Dosimetry For Radioactive Plaques Used For Radiotherapy Of Eye Lesions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$357,294.00
Summary
Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the commonest ocular malignancies in adults. While plaque brachytherapy has delivered advances in ocular cancer management, significant challenges remain. These include post-treatment vision loss (due to over irradiation of vital structures, e.g. optic nerve), treatment failure (~10%) and an inability to treat large tumours (>8mm thick). This project aims to address these challenges through rigorous quality assurance and enhanced dosimetry planning.
The Impact Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm On Eye Infection And The Development Of Antimicrobial Contact Lenses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$328,932.00
Summary
Worldwide, 125 million people correct their vision through the use of contact lenses. Contact lens use predisposes the wearer to sight threatening eye infections. Despite advanced material technology and improved hygiene regimens, the rate of contact lens-related infectious disease has remained constant. This research aims to elucidate how bacteria compromise the ocular immune system in order to develop preventative/therapeutic strategies to combat ocular infections.
Early Detection Of Alzheimer's Disease Using Ocular Biomarkers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$602,502.00
Summary
Curcumin fluorescence imaging of the retina will be tested for quantification of retinal amyloid plaque burden and rate of change. This will be compared to AD disease status, brain plaque burden and other markers to evaluate retinal imaging as an early test for AD.
Functional Analysis Of Recently Identified Novel Glaucoma Genes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$519,918.00
Summary
Glaucoma is the commonest cause of irreversible blindness in the world. Recently, through genetic studies in cohorts of blinding glaucoma cases from Australia, our group has found that variants in two genes increase the risk of blinding glaucoma. This project will investigate how these genes contribute to pathological changes in the optic nerve and retina, at the back of the eye, that lead to glaucoma. This knowledge will be useful for developing new strategies to treat glaucoma.
Minimally-invasive Gene Delivery Of A Novel Inhibitor Of Retinal Angiogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$883,883.00
Summary
Excessive growth of blood vessels in the eye causes vision loss and can only be treated with lasers or painful and frequent injections into the eye. Vasostatin is a specific inhibitor of angiogenesis and a promising agent for the management of ocular neovascularisation. We will provide pre-clinical evidence that gene delivery of vasostatin-like peptides is an effective therapeutic strategy and it has potential to revolutionize the current ophthalmic care of age-related macular degeneration.
A System For Measurement Of Vision-specific Quality Of Life Using Item Banking And Computer Adaptive Testing (ViSBank)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$831,155.00
Summary
When evaluating medical treatments, it is important to consider all effects from the patient’s perspective; their quality of life. This project utilises new technology to develop an adaptable, computerised, internet-based system to measure the effects of eye diseases and their treatments on patients’ quality of life. This system will provide for more accurate, precise and efficient measurement than existing methods.
Nanoparticle-based Anti-VEGF Treatment For Ocular Neovascularization
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,921.00
Summary
Diseases like AMD and DR are the leading cause for substantial and irreversible vision loss as a direct effect of pathologic ocular neovascularization and have a significant economic impact on individuals, families, health systems and countries. Nowadays, the treatment requires frequent intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF antibody with all the risks of an invasive intraocular procedure. Nanotechonoly-based drug delivery system will provide a less invasive treatment for this kind of disease.
Development Of A Novel Bioengineered Tissue Construct For Repairing The Eye.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$335,817.00
Summary
Corneal diseases are often treated using donor tissue transplants. Nevertheless, donor tissue is unsuitable for treating the peripheral or limbal margin of the cornea. We have therefore developed a way to transplant sheets of limbal tissue (epithelium) grown in the laboratory from a patient's own cells, but this tissue lacks a foundation of connective tissue that we believe is essential for sustained healing. Thus, our aim is to develop a novel limbal transplant which contains both layers.