Assessment Of Bilateral Oedema By Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,000.00
Summary
Swelling of tissue due to fluid accumulation, known as oedema, is one of the earliest signs of diseases such as kidney failure, burn injury or lymphedema. All of these are not uncommon conditions. Lymphedema, for example, is a common sequela of radiotherapy or surgery in the treatment of malignancies such as breast, uterine, and prostatic carcinoma. It is reported to occur in up to 40% of patients depending on the type of surgery and whether or not the patient received radiotherapy. It is estima ....Swelling of tissue due to fluid accumulation, known as oedema, is one of the earliest signs of diseases such as kidney failure, burn injury or lymphedema. All of these are not uncommon conditions. Lymphedema, for example, is a common sequela of radiotherapy or surgery in the treatment of malignancies such as breast, uterine, and prostatic carcinoma. It is reported to occur in up to 40% of patients depending on the type of surgery and whether or not the patient received radiotherapy. It is estimated that at any time 100000 women are suffering from post- mastectomy lymphedema in Australia alone. Treatment of breast cancer alone therefore, given the incidence of the disease, produces a large at-risk population. Add to this other causes of oedema and the magnitude of the problem becomes clearly apparent. The presence of chronic oedema is often a disfiguring and disabling disorder, usually accompanied by pain, recurrent infection, reduced mobility and impaired function. In acute oedema the problem often resolves with recovery from the underlying pathology. In chronic oedema, progression may be arrested by early intervention including complex physical therapy (exercise regimen, compression bandaging, and massage) which is effective in reducing limb volume, in improving the quality of life, function and body image of patients. Although the assessment of oedema is clearly of clinical importance, relatively few objective and accurate techniques for its measurement exist. Research conducted over the past decade by the applicants has pioneered the Use of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for the assessment of lymphedema. This study aims to translate this basic research into clinical practice. Sensitivity and specificity studies will establish normative and threshold values for impedance measurements that can be used as presumptive indicators of oedema. User friendly technology and equipment suitable for clinical use will be developed which should improve treatment therapies.Read moreRead less
Development And Pre-Clinical Evaluation Of A Silicone Dressing For Scar Remediation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$163,577.00
Summary
This research is aimed at exploiting advanced polymers as a new therapy for patients with burn related scars, as well as people who are genetically predisposed to scarring due to abnormal healing. In order to progress to clinical trials, the technology needs to be tested on an animal scar model. Successful outcome of these tests will allow the industry partner, Tissue Therapies, to proceed with a clinical trial, paving the way to a therapeutic product available for scar treatment.
Development And Pre-clinical Evaluation Of A Novel Wound Dressing Treatment For Chronic Ulcers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,040.00
Summary
Chronic leg ulcers are a common, painful and costly reality for many Australians, impacting on sufferers' mobility, social interactions and overall quality of life. This research is directed at developing a novel cost-effective wound dressing for treatment of this condition. This will be achieved through neutralising the ulcer's toxic proteolytic environment through an interactive wound dressing. This then will allow the body's own cells to promote wound healing.
An Inside-out Approach To Muscosal Vaccination: MAdCAM Targeting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$174,250.00
Summary
The mucosal surfaces are the entry site for many pathogens (eg. cholera, rotaviruses, helicobacter, SARS and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV infections). The ideal vaccine would elicit both systemic and mucosal immune response, enhancing immunity at this first line of defence. The oral route has formidable barriers to antigen uptake such as digestive enzymes, commensal microbes, mucous layers and gastric acid. Our strategy targets the vascular addressin found in immune tissues of the ....The mucosal surfaces are the entry site for many pathogens (eg. cholera, rotaviruses, helicobacter, SARS and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV infections). The ideal vaccine would elicit both systemic and mucosal immune response, enhancing immunity at this first line of defence. The oral route has formidable barriers to antigen uptake such as digestive enzymes, commensal microbes, mucous layers and gastric acid. Our strategy targets the vascular addressin found in immune tissues of the gut (called MAdCAM) so that the vaccine is linked to an antibody against MAdCAM. Thus for the first time we believe that a parenteral vaccine ie. injected im or iv (bypassing the oral barriers) can induce mucosal immunity.Read moreRead less
GM-CSF Regulation Of Preimplantation Embryo Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$481,320.00
Summary
Treatment of infertility using IVF technology has been enormously successful. However, there are major concerns regarding the high incidence of multiple pregnancies (caused by the transfer of more than one embryo) and the potential adverse health outcome of adults conceived from this technology. Multiple pregnancies place both mother and infant at enormous risks, with increased obstetrics care, prematurity, increased neonatal care and neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy. This can be ov ....Treatment of infertility using IVF technology has been enormously successful. However, there are major concerns regarding the high incidence of multiple pregnancies (caused by the transfer of more than one embryo) and the potential adverse health outcome of adults conceived from this technology. Multiple pregnancies place both mother and infant at enormous risks, with increased obstetrics care, prematurity, increased neonatal care and neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy. This can be overcome simply by the transfer of a single embryo. However, patient and clinical expectations are that single embryo transfer should be achieved with little to no reduction in pregnancy rate, and currently this is not possible because our methods for culturing embryos are inadequate. Studies in animals suggest that laboratory growth of mammalian embryos can lead to small-for-gestational age babies (even when the effect of multiple births is taken into consideration). This backed by recent studies which agree that babies born from IVF are smaller than expected. This might lead to health problems in later life, as smallness at birth is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, especially as age progresses beyond 40 years. However, the oldest IVF child is currently 23 years of age. Previously we have shown that a protein growth factor, called granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), found normally in the reproductive tract, has dramatic beneficial effects on human and mouse embryos grown in the laboratory. Furthermore, we have shown in mice that embryo exposure to GM-CSF alleviates the detrimental side effects of in vitro culture on foetal growth and body structure after birth. Our research is now focussed on understanding why this protein is beneficial to embryo growth and to test if we can increase pregnancy rates and produce normal healthy infants from the transfer of single embryos treated with GM-CSF.Read moreRead less
Development Fo A Novel Treatment For Asthma: The Identification Of Lead Small Molecule Antagonists Of The IL-13/IL-13 Re
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$99,750.00
Summary
In developed countries Asthma ranks among the most common chronic illnesses. Over two million Australians now have this condition and the cost to our community is estimated to be in excess of $720 million per annum. In 1996 researchers at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute discovered a new member of the cytokine receptor family, IL-13Ra1, which further research has strongly implicated in the pathology of this disease. The main goal of the proposed research is to discover small molecule antagoni ....In developed countries Asthma ranks among the most common chronic illnesses. Over two million Australians now have this condition and the cost to our community is estimated to be in excess of $720 million per annum. In 1996 researchers at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute discovered a new member of the cytokine receptor family, IL-13Ra1, which further research has strongly implicated in the pathology of this disease. The main goal of the proposed research is to discover small molecule antagonists of IL-13Ra1 and to identify those suitable for development as novel asthma therapeutics.Read moreRead less
Development Of A Smart Arthroscopy System And Prototype Probe For Joint Tissues
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,632.00
Summary
This project relates to the ever growing use of arthroscopy in the management of joint defects. An innovative probe that will combine all the molecular, microstructural and biomechanical characteristics of joint articular cartialge and bone for the purposes of diagnosis, treatment, treatment-related decisions, comparison of the effectiveness of treament methods and post treatment evaluation will be developed. This system will produce spin-offs for artrhoscopy of other soft tissues and bodies.
Developing Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Based On Inhibition Of A Human Enzyme
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Human secretory phospholipases A2 have been associated with inflammatory diseases for many years, yet very few truly potent inhibitors of the human enzymes sPLA2 (isoforms IIa, V or X) are known due to a range of problems relating to the lipid nature of substrates, unavailability of enzymes, enzyme assays that do not correlate with in vivo data. Although there remains controversy about which enzyme is responsible in vivo for degrading membrane phospholipids to inflammatory mediators like arachid ....Human secretory phospholipases A2 have been associated with inflammatory diseases for many years, yet very few truly potent inhibitors of the human enzymes sPLA2 (isoforms IIa, V or X) are known due to a range of problems relating to the lipid nature of substrates, unavailability of enzymes, enzyme assays that do not correlate with in vivo data. Although there remains controversy about which enzyme is responsible in vivo for degrading membrane phospholipids to inflammatory mediators like arachidonate, PAF, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, etc. there is a consensus that blockade of phospholipid metabolism would represent a major advance on NSAIDs as antiinflammatory agents. No sPLA2-IIa inhibitor is available yet in man. We aim to create an attractive data package showing proof of concept for a potent new type of antiinflammatory drug. This data will give us an improved negotiating position in our commercialisation of a new drug with potential multi-billion dollar markets as diverse as arthritis, asthma, reperfusion injury, organ transplantation and many other currently intractable human ailmentsRead moreRead less
Novel Methods For Promoting Organ Development And Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,203.00
Summary
A revolutionary new therapy for treatment of growth restricted fetuses and premature babies is being developed through the administration of Colony Stimulating Factor (CSF-1). We have evidence that CSF-1 therapy can promote kidneys and lungs to continue development and maturation after birth. This exciting new finding allows for the application of CSF-1 therapy for both the treatment of premature babies and unborn babies with kidney defects.
Development Of Resonance Energy Transfer Technologies To Detect GPCR Heterodimer Complexes In Living Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$205,555.00
Summary
G-protein coupled receptors are proteins at the surface of most cells in the body. They bind to drugs, transmitting signals into cells that change what cells are doing. Recent research indicates that different types of these proteins can interact with each other and when one of these protein combinations binds a drug, it acts differently to when the proteins act separately. The aim of our project is to find out which protein combinations exist and to find drugs that bind to them specifically.