Molecular Dissection Of The Munc18c:Syntaxin4 Complex Required For Insulin-regulated Exocytosis In Adipocytes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$601,008.00
Summary
When blood glucose levels are high, insulin signals to fat and muscle cells to remove glucose from the blood. The uptake of glucose relies on membrane fusion events that deliver a specific glucose transporter protein to the cell surface in response to insulin signals. This process is affected in Type II diabetes. Our research will characterise the regulation of these membrane fusion events and will be important for understanding how insulin signals are communicated in health and disease.
Molecular Characterisation Of Clathrin-independent Endocytosis In Migrating Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$870,495.00
Summary
Cell migration is an essential feature of physiological processes involved in embryo development, as well as disease conditions such as cancer metastasis. Cell movement requires extensive changes to the cell surface. We have identified a vital pathway involved in membrane trafficking during cell migration. This proposal aims to identify the cellular components involved in this pathway, screen for new inhibitors, and characterise the role of this pathway in migrating cancer cells.
INHIBITORS OF DENGUE VIRUS NONSTRUCTURAL PROTEIN 5 NUCLEAR TRAFFICKING AS PROBES OF DENGUE BIOLOGY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$741,136.00
Summary
Viral disease is one of the most significant health problems world-wide, making the identification of new therapeutics of critical importance. We aim to characterise in detail novel compounds which inhibit the interaction of the host cell with Dengue virus, and test them in a series of relevant infectious models for Dengue.
Improving Therapeutic Delivery By Understanding Nanoparticle Interactions With Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$553,152.00
Summary
Nanotechnology has the potential to transform the way we treat many diseases. This project will investigate how nanoengineered particles can be used to improve the effectiveness of vaccines. Nanoparticles can protect the delicate vaccine cargo from degradation, and will be targeted specifically to the cells in the body that most effectively induce the maximum theraputic response. This study will improve our understanding of how nanovaccines work and develop new ways of delivering vaccines.
The Role Of Perivascular Macrophages In The Regulation Of CNS Inflammation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$602,609.00
Summary
Inflammation of the central nervous system can have deleterious consequences. How the inflammatory cascade operates within the CNS is poorly understood. We have recently discovered a novel subset of immune cells, the perivascular macrophage, which regulates the recruitment of inflammatory cells. Aim of this proposal is to dissect the role of these cells during brain infections and autoimmune inflammation.
Neuronal communication relies on the process of exocytosis by which neurons release a neurotransmitter. Exocytosis is critical for the simplest muscle movement to complex tasks such as learning and memory, and is altered in several neurodegenerative pathologies. We will investigate how the protein Munc18 controls exocytosis. This research will be important for understanding how neurons communicate in health and disease and will be relevant to other processes such as insulin release in diabetes.
The Effects Of Human Epilepsy Mutations On Synaptic GABA-A Receptors Studied By Localization-based Superresolution Microscopy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$524,215.00
Summary
The genetic epilepsies are debilitating neurological disorders that are frequently associated with mutations in genes encoding neurotransmitter-gated receptors in the brain. The goal of this project is to understand mechanisms that cause changes in neuronal communication and lead to epilepsy on a single receptor level. This will lead to an improved understanding of the mechanisms of epileptogenesis and new insights into ways of treating different epilepsies.
Effector Export In P. Falciparum Infected Human Erythrocytes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,066,920.00
Summary
We will investigate malaria, a parasitic disease that kills over 450,000 people a year. We will explore how the parasite identifies, invades and remodels the host cells in which it lives, scavenging nutrients and hiding from the immune system. We will characterize the proteins involved in these critical events, as they are potential targets for drugs. We will study how parasites cause disease and how the host responds to infection.
Conventional And Unconventional T Cells In Interstitial Kidney Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$480,531.00
Summary
Acute damage to the kidney is a common life-threatening condition. Recent studies have shown that less well-studied types of immune cells contribute to kidney damage. However, how these cells enter and injure the kidney is unknown. In this project we will use a special microscope to look into the blood vessels of the kidney and visualise the cells inside kidney blood vessels in order to uncover their behaviour as they respond to acute inflammatory insult to the kidney.
Understanding The Cellular Processing Of Targeted Nanoparticles For Improved Therapeutic Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$625,477.00
Summary
Nanotechnology has the potential to transform the way we treat many diseases. This project will investigate how nanoengineered particles can be used to improve the effectiveness of vaccines. Nanoparticles can protect the delicate vaccine cargo from degradation, and will be targeted specifically to the cells in the body that most effectively induce the maximum theraputic response. This study will improve our understanding of how nanovaccines work and develop new ways of delivering vaccines.