Management And Risk Prediction Of Paracetamol Overdose
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$98,950.00
Summary
Paracetamol overdose is the most common pharmaceutical poisoning in developed countries and incidence is increasing in the developing world. Overdose can lead to liver failure and death. Our research will evaluate a novel antidote regimen and whether early cessation of antidote for paracetamol toxicity in a specific cohort is safe, with implications of decreasing time in hospital. We will also identify risk prediction tools to help early identification of patients needing intensive treatment
Many products are applied to the skin to prevent skin cancer or to treat skin diseases. This project seeks to better understand how we can make such products more affective, safer and appropriate for conditions such as psoriasis. One major component of the grant is concerned with the evaluation of nanotechnology products applied to the skin.
A Randomized Trial Of 2 Radiation And Systemic Therapy Strategies In Good Prognosis Advanced Human Papilloma Virus -associated Cancer Of The Tonsil And Base Of Tongue
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,097,932.00
Summary
Cancers of the tonsil and base of tongue due to the human papilloma virus have a better prognosis than other head and neck cancers, but standard treatment can result in significant acute and late side effects. This trial aims to compare two types of chemotherapy and radiotherapy that are less intensive than standard treatment. The aim of the trial is to determine which treatment is associated with better quality of life and less side effects, while maintaining efficacy.
Identification Of Cardiac Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Targets For Cardiotoxic Drugs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$265,986.00
Summary
Anthracyclines are drugs which are used successfully in chemotherapy. Unfortunately, these drugs can lead to serious heart problems which sometimes result in death, and the mechanisms behind this remain elusive. Finding the specific targets of these drugs and how these drugs affect heart contraction may lead to designing drug cocktails which protect the heart from side effects.
Pathophysiology And Prevention Of Methotrexate Chemotherapy-induced Bone Growth Defects
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$622,598.00
Summary
Childhood chemotherapy often causes growth arrest, osteoporosis, and fractures in cancer patients and survivors. Using a rat model, this project will study how the most commonly used chemotherapy drug methotrexate causes bone growth defects and examine any protective effects of two natural-derived substances. This work will increase our knowledge on chemotherapy-induced bone growth defects, and will be useful for developing a preventative treatment.
Effects Of Ageing On Hepatic Drug Clearance And Mechanisms Of Drug Induced Liver Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$581,892.00
Summary
With increasing age, there is increase in disease, for which medications may provide benefit, and an increase in the risk of adverse drug reactions, even after considering the increase in medication use by older people. We will investigate how the liver clears drugs from the blood in old age. This will guide dosing of medications for older people. We will also study how drugs injure the liver in old age and test interventions to prevent this toxicity.
Pathogenesis Of Antiretroviral Induced Sub-cutaneous Fat Wasting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$331,650.00
Summary
The use of potent antiretroviral therapy has resulted in great clinical and survival benefit in patients with HIV infection and has in most cases, outweighed the risk of short term side effects. However, not that survival of patients with AIDS has considerably improved the long-term complications of chronic therapy have become a critical issue. Lipodystrophy syndrome(s) is the name given to a set of changes to blood lipids, glucose levels and body habitus and typically occurs in those successful ....The use of potent antiretroviral therapy has resulted in great clinical and survival benefit in patients with HIV infection and has in most cases, outweighed the risk of short term side effects. However, not that survival of patients with AIDS has considerably improved the long-term complications of chronic therapy have become a critical issue. Lipodystrophy syndrome(s) is the name given to a set of changes to blood lipids, glucose levels and body habitus and typically occurs in those successfully treated with anti-HIV therapy. The facial and body habitus changes are common, progressive and are frequently disfiguring. Aside from the psychological and social effects of such changes, many patiens are not able to retain their anonymity as HIV infected individuals. In addition, changes to blood lipids may lead to atherosclerosis. Already there have been several case reports of premature coronary disease in young HIV infected patients. It is increasingly difficult for patients to remain strictly adherent to chronic therapy because of all these concerns. There is an urgent need to understand the exact biological cause(s) of lipodystrophy syndrome(s) in HIV infected patients in order to help identify which of our currently available antiretroviral therapies will offer the long term clinical and survival benefit of strong viral suppression without increasing risk of vascular disease. Based on results of our previous studies on lipodystrophy syndrome, we have proposed that lipodystrophy may be the result of antiviral drugs depleting the DNA content of mitochondria within fat cells. We propose to examine sequential fat biopsy specimens from HIV infected volunteers to determine whether antiretroviral therapy has had adverse effects on mitochondrial DNA content and-or function.Read moreRead less
Quality Assurance In LDR And HDR Prostate Brachytherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$221,500.00
Summary
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men over 55 years of age. Approximately 30% of all diagnosed cancers in this age group are prostate carcinomas. Low and high dose rate brachytherapy are newly established treatment options for early-stage, low-risk, prostate cancer and are an alternative to curative prostatectomy in most patients. Local control and cure of prostate cancer is greatly influenced by the dose distribution generated by both the treatment techniques. Tre ....Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men over 55 years of age. Approximately 30% of all diagnosed cancers in this age group are prostate carcinomas. Low and high dose rate brachytherapy are newly established treatment options for early-stage, low-risk, prostate cancer and are an alternative to curative prostatectomy in most patients. Local control and cure of prostate cancer is greatly influenced by the dose distribution generated by both the treatment techniques. Treatment plans must be able to deliver a prescribed dose in the tumour, with adequate margins, while minimising the dose delivered to the surrounding normal tissue and critical organs. It is well recognised that, however skilful the radiation oncologist, an ideal dose distribution according to a treatment plan plan does not guarantee a well delivered dose. Complications such as impotence, severe radiation urethritis and severe rectal bleeding will arise if overdosing of the neuro-vascular bundle, urethra and rectum occurs respectively. This project is based on newly developed instrumentation that will allow continuous, realtime, in vivo, monitoring of the radiation dose levels in the urethra and rectum during brachytherapy treatment of prostate cancer. Such monitoring of the treatment procedure, has been identified as a high priority by the American Brachytherapy Society. The technique will allow extensive in vivo and post treatment studies to be performed by clinicians so as to measure the dose levels currently received and identify the optimum acceptable dose levels for future procedures. The outcomes of this project may well be able to be utilised in other forms of brachytherapy treament (e.g. breast, cervical cancer) and other radiation treatment modailities (e.g. conventional radiotherapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy) to also reduce complications associated with these treatment modalities.Read moreRead less
SULT4A1 is not a sulfotransferase, but a sulfotransferase inhibitor. It forms high affinity heterodimers with other sulfotransferases via a conserved dimerisation site in its carboxyl terminus attenuating catalytic activity. Consequently, it is important for the metabolism of numerous important molecules including estrogens, thyroid hormones, neurotransmitters and many therapeutic agents.