How Intestinal Motility Activates Sensory Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,875.00
Summary
Pain and discomfort from the gut are common and unpleasant. We understand how gut sensory nerve cells work, at the cellular, molecular and genetic level. However, movement of the gut wall and contents are the major cause of activation of sensory neurons. We know little about which particular patterns of movement cause pain. This is crucial information for accurately diagnosing human gut disorders, for monitoring effectiveness of treatments and for identifying potential new drug targets.
Chronic inflammation underlies common and debilitating diseases and causes pain by unknown mechanisms. There is an urgent need to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of chronic pain, which will allow the development of improved therapies with fewer side-effects. Our research program investigates the mechanisms of pain that are associated with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, with the goal of developing more effective and selective therapies.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the leading causes of chronic pain both world-wide and in Australia for which there is a lack of treatments. Chronic pain arises from nerve fibres in the colon wall, which fail to 'reset' back to normal following inflammation. Targeting these nerve endings with drugs is a key advance in IBS treatment. This project will identify selective oxytocin analogues that act in the colon to lower pain in sensory nerves thus providing efficacious pain relief in IBS.
A Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomised Trial (SMART) Of Nursing Interventions To Reduce Pain Associated With Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$713,418.00
Summary
Modern chemotherapy treatments can result in damage to the peripheral nerves, resulting in a condition called peripheral neuropathy. This condition is characterised by a range of sensory and functional changes that can cause pain and reduced ability to perform daily activities. This project will test various non-pharmacological pain management measures to determine if they are effective in improving the quality of life of patients who experience this problem.
Stimulant laxatives are widely used and usually very effective in the short term, but how they work is very poorly understood. Our recent work has shown that they selectively excite sensory pathways from the colon which then trigger defaecation. This points to an undiscovered mechanism that potently affects colonic sensation and motility. This is likely to be a target for new treatments for other colonic disorders such as Irritable bowel syndrome and faecal incontinence.
Is Abdominal Discomfort A “colonic Itch”? Identification Of Itch Specific Pathways In The Gut In Health And Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$906,996.00
Summary
Chronic abdominal pain is a major worldwide problem. TGR5 and Mrgpr receptors are expressed by neuronal pathways innervating the skin, where they detect irritants and transmit itch. Our novel, innovative project shows a similar pathway exists within the viscera, which plays a major and unappreciated role in chronic abdominal pain. These receptors represent novel targets for therapeutic treatment, potentially creating multibillion-dollar savings to the Australian economy and healthcare systems.
GABA(B) Receptor Modulation Of Gastrointestinal Function In Health And Disease By Alpha-Conotoxins
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$689,050.00
Summary
Chronic visceral pain is a common and debilitating condition arising from numerous diseases that affect our internal organs. There is a desperate need for more information about the mechanisms responsible for signalling chronic visceral pain to provide therapies and potentially find a cure for it. Our research focuses on ?-conotoxins (small peptides from marine cone snail venom) as novel potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic visceral pain.
Examining The Impact Of Language Reclamation On Social And Emotional Well Being Among The Barngarla
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,111,633.00
Summary
Indigenous Australians are at high risk of experiencing mental illness. For many, it is the loss of land, culture, and identity that are causes of ill health. The Barngarla people of South Australia seek to reclaim their language due to its potential reinvigorating cultural identity and wellbeing. This offers a unique opportunity to document the links between language reclamation and wellness in Aboriginal people for the first time.
Pregnancy And Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes In Remote Australia (PANDORA) Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,395,410.00
Summary
The PANDORA study is a longitudinal birth cohort study recruited from a clinical register of Northern Territory women with diabetes in pregnancy (DIP). We will also recruit a comparator group of mothers without DIP and babies. Follow-up of mothers and infants to 3 years post-delivery will be from medical records, questionnaires and clinical assessment. Rates of progression to type 2 diabetes will be assessed among mothers, and growth, feeding patterns and diabetes risk markers among infants.