Pharmacological Preconditioning And Sodium/hydrogen Exchange Inhibition To Optimise Preservation Of The Donor Pig Heart
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$242,545.00
Summary
Heart transplantation has become established as an extremely beneficial treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure, however its success is limited by the restricted availability of donor hearts. Many hearts that could be considered for heart transplantation cannot be used because of damage that can occur to potential donor hearts after the death of the donor. This damage is caused in part by deterioration in heart function after death and in part by the process of removal and cold stora ....Heart transplantation has become established as an extremely beneficial treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure, however its success is limited by the restricted availability of donor hearts. Many hearts that could be considered for heart transplantation cannot be used because of damage that can occur to potential donor hearts after the death of the donor. This damage is caused in part by deterioration in heart function after death and in part by the process of removal and cold storage that occur prior to transplantation of the heart. This study will examine two new methods of optimising the quality and preservation of the donor heart for transplantation. The treatments to be investigated in this study are aimed at preventing damage to the donor heart after death and during the process of transplantation. The studies will be conducted in a pig model of heart transplantation that we have developed in our laboratory. The treatments will be administered to the donor pig after induction of brain death and also to the recipient during transplantation of the heart. As the model closely mimics all aspects of human heart transplantation, any positive findings that stem from these studies will be directly applicable to human transplantation. Improved preservation of the donor heart will make the operation safer and will potentially increase the number of hearts that can be used for transplantation. As many donors provide multiple organs for transplantation eg kidneys, liver, lungs and pancreas, the treatments that we are investigating have the potential to improve the recovery of all these organs after transplantation.Read moreRead less
A Novel And Unique Protein I-body For The Treatment Of Chronic Kidney Disease Through Targeting CXCR4
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$768,340.00
Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem, with adverse outcomes of kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. Kidney transplantation and dialysis are the only options for the management of CKD, which results in a significant burden on the health system. The central aim of this project is to develop a novel therapeutic strategy to limit/reverse CKD, which will lead to a researcher-industry partnership in discovery of novel therapeutic agent.
The Role Of Tissue Hypoxia In The Evolution Of Kidney Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$509,391.00
Summary
We will determine how low oxygen levels in the kidney lead to kidney disease. We can now measure the levels of oxygen in kidney tissue in rats 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a completely non-invasive way. We will study two common kinds of kidney disease. One, acute kidney injury, can result from administration of contrast agents used in x-ray diagnostic procedures. The other, chronic kidney disease, is common in patients with diabetes or high blood pressure.
Towards Prevention Of Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$771,918.00
Summary
Open heart surgery saves thousands of lives each year in Australia, but often injures the kidney. Kidney oxygen deficiency is a major cause of kidney injury. We propose a new way to manage kidney oxygen levels during heart surgery, by measuring the level of oxygen in the urine in the bladder. We will determine whether low levels of oxygen in the urine during surgery predict later development of acute kidney injury, and whether patient management can be changed to optimize kidney oxygen levels.
TOWARDS IMPROVING EARLY PERITONEAL DIALYSIS OUTCOMES
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$189,384.00
Summary
The burden of kidney disease requiring dialysis is substantial in Australia. Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) is a cost effective method of performing dialysis, which provides greater quality of life and patient satisfaction than Haemodialysis (HD). Unfortunately PD is underused and has a high discontinuation rate among patients. This program of research will target important areas of PD practice aimed at improving the uptake and continuation of PD for patients with kidney disease requiring dialysis.