Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT): Further Characterization Of Disease Mechanism Will Improve Patient Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,484.00
Summary
Thrombus formation occurs as a side effect of heparin treatment in many patients. This condition is called Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT). The clots may be stabilised by secretions from cells called neutrophils. In this project we will study this possibility using a mouse model of HIT and will explore therapeutic approaches to inhibit clot stabilisation.
Targeting Ribosomal RNA Transcription With CX-5461 As A New Approach For Treating Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$864,067.00
Summary
We have made the fundamental discovery that ribosomal gene transcription is not simply a 'house keeping' process in cancer cells but is required to maintain malignant cell viability. Strikingly inhibition of ribosomal gene transcription using a novel small molecule inhibitor, CX-5461, shows profound selectivity for malignant cells over normal cells. This proposal will translate these observations into 'first in man' phase 1 clinical trials of CX-5461 for the treatment of blood cancers.
Substantial portions of the Australian population have some difficulty walking. People affected include children with cerebral palsy, people who've had injuries playing sport and older people with Parkinson's disease, osteoarthritis or who have had a stroke. The cost of managing arthritic conditions alone was estimated at $2.2 Billion for 2001. Gait analysis uses high technology video cameras, force transducers, muscle activity sensors and computers to record how people walk and is now being use ....Substantial portions of the Australian population have some difficulty walking. People affected include children with cerebral palsy, people who've had injuries playing sport and older people with Parkinson's disease, osteoarthritis or who have had a stroke. The cost of managing arthritic conditions alone was estimated at $2.2 Billion for 2001. Gait analysis uses high technology video cameras, force transducers, muscle activity sensors and computers to record how people walk and is now being used more and more commonly across Australia. The technology is very similar to that now being used to capture how people move for the movie industry. The technology allows us a better understanding of how people are moving and therefore of what treatments they are likely to benefit from. Melbourne now has four Gait Analysis facilities working with different patient groups and each with an international reputation for its work. These groups have combined to form the CCRE in Gait Analysis and Gait Rehabilitation under the leadership of Professor H Kerr Graham (Royal Children's Hospital) and Professor Bob Iansek (Kingston Centre, Southern Health).Read moreRead less
Development Of A New Specific Immunosuppressive Monoclonal Antibody To Advance Transplantation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$736,300.00
Summary
Current nonspecific immunosuppressive agents compromise post transplant protective responses, including the anti-tumour effect of a bone marrow transplant. We have developed an antibody (3C12C), that targets CD83 on activated dendritic cells as a new, more specific, immunosuppressive strategy. We will work with our commercial partner to develop the patented antibody as a new imunosuppressive agent, which retains anti-viral and anti-cancer responses. This would be a major advance for patients.
Determining The Impact Of Cytotoxic Therapies On The Bone Marrow Microenvironment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$621,499.00
Summary
Treatments for cancers result in markedly impaired blood cell production. Non-blood cell types within the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment are important to the regulation of blood cell production. We have evidence these cancer treatments also damage the BM microenvironment. We aim to fully explore how cancer treatments impact on the BM microenvironment. We can then determine how to improve recovery of the BM microenvironment in order to rapidly restore blood cell production after treatment.
Long-term Human Response Following Subretinal Injection Of Recombinant Adenoassociated Virus-sFlt-1 Vector
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,076.00
Summary
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the major cause of blindness in the developed world. The present best practice for treating wet AMD is monthly injections of Lucentis� into the eye which is expensive, inconvenient for the patient and has increased risk of infection. The additional assays associated with the clinical trial will test whether adeno-associated virus-mediated gene therapy is safe and whether it can eliminate the need of multiple injections while delivering the same outcome.
Development Of A Humanised Antibody For Treatment Of Cancer And Stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,142.00
Summary
The protein PDGF-CC has a critical role in blood vessel development, and is implicated in the development of cancer, and the debilitating consequences of acute stroke. Researchers in the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have developed novel anti-PDGF-CC antibodies. The research program proposed will generate data and clinical reagents that will enable a lead candidate anti-PDGF-CC antibody to be commercialised, and ultimately evaluated clinically in cancer and stroke patients.
Is Antibiotic Treatment Effective In The Management Of Chronic Low Back Pain In Those With Disc Herniation? A Double-blind, Randomised, Placebo-controlled Trial With An Economic Evaluation.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$549,124.00
Summary
Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, however treatments are limited. It has been hypothesised that following an acute disc injury a secondary infection may develop in the disc which leads to chronic back pain. This clinical trial will examine the effectiveness of antibiotics for the treatment of chronic low back pain (with disc herniation). If effective, this may provide a novel approach for the prevention of long term low back pain and disability.
Major progress has been made in the treatment of cancer by the development of inhibitors of oncogenes that drive cancer growth. This application will test whether this approach can be used for melanomas with activation of the CDK4 oncogene that becomes activated in over 50% of melanomas. We will indentify which patients melanomas respond best to this approach and understand why some melanomas but not other responds providing the scientific framework for clinical trials of CDK4 inhibitors.