Understanding The Mechanisms Of Functionally Selective Antipsychotic Drugs: Implications For New Generation Antipsychotic Drugs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,745.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a chronic and devastating disease that ranks among the top 10 disabilities in developed countries. It places a significant burden on the Australian health system, costing about $1.5 billion each year. This project aims to reveal the mechanisms of new functionally selective antipsychotic drugs, which achieve an excellent therapeutic efficacy with low side-effects. Understanding these mechanisms will provide novel directions for the design of new generation antipsychotic drugs.
Cyclotherapy: A New Approach To Stop The Side Effects Of Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$565,847.00
Summary
Cyto-toxic chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer but is associated with significant side effects for the patient. These are due to the chemotherapy killing normal dividing cells in the gut, bone marrow and hair follicles. We will determine the potential of cyclotherapy in preventing these side effects. In cyclotherapy a pre-treatment temporarily stops normal cells from dividing and therefore protects them from the damage of subsequent chemotherapy.
Understanding The Mechanisms For Ameliorating/preventing Antipsychotic-induced Obesity In Early Life
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,496.00
Summary
There has been a sharp worldwide increase during the last decade in antipsychotic prescriptions (mostly “off-label”) to paediatric patients. One important issue is that antipsychotic drugs were developed for adult patients and normally have serious side-effects. This project will not only reveal the mechanisms of antipsychotic-induced obesity side-effects in youth, but will also explore intervention strategies for preventing antipsychotic-induced weight gain/obesity in paediatric patients.
Roles Of Muscarinic M3 Receptors In Antipsychotic-induced Metabolic Side-effects: Prevention And Treatment Of Antipsychotic-induced Insulin Dysregulation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$603,825.00
Summary
Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat various mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia and major depression. However, these drugs cause serious metabolic side-effects leading to premature death and huge costs to the Australian health care system. This project aims to reveal the role of muscarinic M3 receptors in antipsychotic-induced insulin dysregulation that precedes diabetes. Understanding these mechanisms will provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment ....Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat various mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia and major depression. However, these drugs cause serious metabolic side-effects leading to premature death and huge costs to the Australian health care system. This project aims to reveal the role of muscarinic M3 receptors in antipsychotic-induced insulin dysregulation that precedes diabetes. Understanding these mechanisms will provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of these critical adverse effects.Read moreRead less
TIR Signalling Pathway Pharmacogenomics And Opioid Response: Beyond The Mu Opioid Receptor
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$246,396.00
Summary
This project will identify why some people respond poorly and others have toxic side effects to the major group of pain relieving medications, the opioids. The basis will be the genetics of the immune system and both acute postoperative and chronic cancer pain patients will be studied in this international pharmacogenetics project.
Improving Risk Evaluation And Outcomes In Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$798,022.00
Summary
The main objective of this project is to make substantial improvements in the treatment of patients with childhood leukaemia by greater use of molecular diagnostics to measure minimal residual disease (MRD) and high risk genetic changes in Australian patients enrolled on an international clinical trial which has been designed to reduce the incidence of both relapses and long term side-effects.
Molecular Dissection Of The Actin Cytoskeleton In Exocytosis Using Intravital Microscopy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,206,869.00
Summary
The proteins actin and tropomyosin form networks in cells that are involved in all of the key processes that are hijacked when a cell becomes cancerous. We discovered that the tropomyosin is the key to the function of a network and have developed drugs that target the cancer-associated tropomyosin. We will examine how the drugs kill cancer cells using a novel method, developed by us, to visualize drug activity in real time, and validate their impact on the target filaments in living tissue.
High Risk Prescribing In Older Australians: Prevalence, Outcomes And Potential For Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$595,628.00
Summary
Older people are the most likely to be prescribed medicines yet they are the most likely to be harmed by their medicines. The extent of and trends in high risk prescribing among older Australians are not known. This project will use large-scale linked data to determine the prevalence, risk factors, clinical consequences and costs of high risk prescribing among older people in Australia. The findings of this project will be used to identify targets for minimising harm relating to use of medicines ....Older people are the most likely to be prescribed medicines yet they are the most likely to be harmed by their medicines. The extent of and trends in high risk prescribing among older Australians are not known. This project will use large-scale linked data to determine the prevalence, risk factors, clinical consequences and costs of high risk prescribing among older people in Australia. The findings of this project will be used to identify targets for minimising harm relating to use of medicines.Read moreRead less
Visualisation And Early Prediction Of ROS-mediated Treatment Response In Liver Cancer By A Novel Nanoplatform
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$334,224.00
Summary
Change of tumour microenvironment has potential to serve as an early predictor of drug efficacy. This proposed project aims to develop a new technology to accurately measure tumour microenvironment during treatment, and to explore the correlation between this potential predicator and tumour growth. This technology would significantly improve the patient prognosis by revealing non-response to chemotherapeutics early and allowing the timely administration of alternative therapies.
Small Molecule Inhibitors To Reprogram The Tumour Environment And Improve Immunotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$784,520.00
Summary
Cancer blood vessels are different to normal blood vessels; they help cancer cells to spread and stop immune cells in their tracks. We have identified drugs which help to make cancer blood vessels more normal and also bring immune cells into the cancer core. We will test these drugs in combination with immunotherapies, a new treatment option which has not reached its full potential in the clinic. Since our drug candidates are already in clinical use, we expect to fast track clinical development.