Engineered extrasynaptic GABAA receptors: Towards novel analgesics. Engineered extrasynaptic GABAA receptors: Towards novel analgesics. This project intends to alleviate neuropathic pain by developing drugs and good tool molecules targeting GABA-A receptors. About 20% of Australian adults suffer from neuropathic pain. Delta-containing GABA-A receptors represent attractive and novel targets for developing non-opioid analgesics. However, no drugs or good tool molecules target these receptors. This ....Engineered extrasynaptic GABAA receptors: Towards novel analgesics. Engineered extrasynaptic GABAA receptors: Towards novel analgesics. This project intends to alleviate neuropathic pain by developing drugs and good tool molecules targeting GABA-A receptors. About 20% of Australian adults suffer from neuropathic pain. Delta-containing GABA-A receptors represent attractive and novel targets for developing non-opioid analgesics. However, no drugs or good tool molecules target these receptors. This project intends to develop the needed enabling technologies, including screening assays, tool molecules and radioligands; and perform brain slice electrophysiology to confirm activity in neuronal cells. This project is expected to benefit the research community and future rational drug-discovery endeavours for drugs that modulate delta-containing receptors.Read moreRead less
Bioactive Peptides as Pharmacological Tools and Novel Drug Leads. Bioactive peptides are produced by all organisms and play numerous critical physiological roles, including in cellular communication, host defence and capture of prey. Peptides have huge potential as tools for studying roles of signalling pathways and as novel drugs due to their high affinity and selectivity for various therapeutically relevant targets. However their use has been limited by poor in vivo stability. This project is ....Bioactive Peptides as Pharmacological Tools and Novel Drug Leads. Bioactive peptides are produced by all organisms and play numerous critical physiological roles, including in cellular communication, host defence and capture of prey. Peptides have huge potential as tools for studying roles of signalling pathways and as novel drugs due to their high affinity and selectivity for various therapeutically relevant targets. However their use has been limited by poor in vivo stability. This project is focused on studying structural features of a range of peptides and their contributions to both activity and to resistance against degradation, with the aim to develop stabilised bioactive peptide sequences for in vivo applications, allowing the full potential of peptides as drugs to be realised.Read moreRead less