Elucidating The Mechanism And Function Of Extracellular Vesicle Formation During Cell Death
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
In humans, billions of cells will die daily as part of normal turnover in various organs. It is vital that dying cells are rapidly removed as their accumulation has been linked to autoimmunity and inflammation. To aid efficient removal of dead cells, dying cells can disassemble into smaller fragments for neighbouring cells to engulf. We aim to understand the machinery that control how dying cells can disassemble into smaller pieces and their function in efficient cell clearance and autoimmunity.
Improving Endothelial Dysfunction In Diabetes-associated Vascular Diseases With Nrf2 Activators
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,039.00
Summary
Diabetic patients have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases as compared to the general population. This is largely attributed to the impact the diabetic environment has on the endothelium (inner layer of the blood vessel). Indeed, clinical studies have shown that impaired endothelial function occurs prior to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Hence, we propose to study a novel way to improve endothelial function by limiting oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways.
Expanding The Repertoire Of Immunomodulatory Drugs: Targeting The Melanocortin System Using Engineered Cyclic Peptides
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, have profound impacts on the lives of many Australians. New drugs are required for these diseases as existing treatments are expensive, become less effective with repeated use or cause adverse side effects. My project will work towards addressing this need by investigating the potential of ultrastable cyclic miniproteins as scaffolds for displaying bioactive peptides that are known to restore immune self-tolerance.