Cell Death In The Retina: Analysing The Switch That Triggers Dependency On Target-derived Trophic Factors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,414.00
Summary
Construction of the developing nervous system in the embryo involves the creation of nerve cells and their connections, but also involves loss of a proportion of these cells prior to maturation. We will study this process of cell death and how developing nerve cells switch on their dependency to survival factors. In so doing we will better understand what happens when brain development goes wrong and also devise new ways to protect nerve cells in the injured or degenerate adult nervous system.
Heterogeneity In Processing And Signalling By The Notch Family Of Receptors In Vascular Development And Remodelling.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$85,716.00
Summary
Formation and remodelling of the blood vessels is a critical feature of development. In addition, numerous disorders including psoriasis, arthritis, blindness, heart and brain ischemia, neurodegeneration, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, respiratory distress and osteoporosis among others are characterised by defective blood vessel patterning. The significance associated with understanding how Notch genes direct blood vessel formation is paramount, as this knowledge will inform future research.
I am a neuroscientist interested in injury to the nervous system with emphasis on promoting functional recovery and clinical translation. Injury models are neurotrauma, the long-term effects of maternal drug administration on offspring and diabetic retino
The Cellular Organisation Of Interneurones In Human Retina
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$526,454.00
Summary
Our goal is to determine the numbers and types of nerve cells in the human retina: the part of the eye where visual processing starts. This data will serve as a baseline against which effects of visual disease can be measured.
Retinal Endothelial Cell Changes That Precede Retinal Vein Occlusion And The Retinal Extracellular Space Changes That Follow It
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$118,121.00
Summary
Dr. Min Hye Kang, at The University of Western Australia, is investigating microscopic blood vessel changes that precede the onset of devastating blindness. She is also studying functional changes that occur in the retina following deprivation of its blood supply. Her research has significantly improved our understanding of cellular mechanisms that lead to blindness. It has also aided in the development of new treatment strategies for the prevention of vision loss.
Glial-neuronal-vascular Interactions In A Novel Transgenic Model Of Muller Cell Dysfunction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$626,585.00
Summary
Muller cell disfunction is a feature shared by many retinal diseases. This project aims to study the contribution of Muller cell dysfunction to retinal neuronal damage and blood-retinal barrier breakdown in a novel transgenic model we recently generated. Results of this study will also be of interest to scientists and clinicians seeking to understand better and treat diseases of the central nervous system in general.
The fovea is a specialized part of the retina which enables us to see fine detail. The fovea is characterised by an extremely high concentration of photoreceptor cells in a small, prescribed area to detect detail in the pattern of light reaching the retina. Each of these photoreceptor cells is connected to at least four other cells within the retina, which further refine the information coded by the photoreceptors. Because this circuitry involves so many cells, the retina has a tendency to be th ....The fovea is a specialized part of the retina which enables us to see fine detail. The fovea is characterised by an extremely high concentration of photoreceptor cells in a small, prescribed area to detect detail in the pattern of light reaching the retina. Each of these photoreceptor cells is connected to at least four other cells within the retina, which further refine the information coded by the photoreceptors. Because this circuitry involves so many cells, the retina has a tendency to be thick at the specialized area. However, in development the cells connected to the foveal photoreceptors move away from the central concentration of photoreceptors, still keeping their contacts with them. This results in thinning of the retina locally, so it has a volcanoe-like formation at the fovea, in which photoreceptors are concentrated within the crater and the displaced cells are accumulated on the rim. The events which trigger these cell displacements that form the fovea are unknown. We propose to investigate growth factors which signal between the fovea and the developing blood supply, and the relationship between the formation of the fovea and neuronal activity. This study will provide a new perspective on factors which affect central visual function and its vulnerability to insult in premature infants and in aging.Read moreRead less