Novel human tryptases: their potential role in inflammatory diseases of the young and old. We have discovered a number of novel human tryptases, and while other members of this enzyme family have been implicated in the development of inflammatory diseases (including rheumatoid arthritis), little is known about these new molecules. We aim to characterise these new enzymes by determining what part of the body they are produced in, whether they are associated with specific inflammatory diseases, an ....Novel human tryptases: their potential role in inflammatory diseases of the young and old. We have discovered a number of novel human tryptases, and while other members of this enzyme family have been implicated in the development of inflammatory diseases (including rheumatoid arthritis), little is known about these new molecules. We aim to characterise these new enzymes by determining what part of the body they are produced in, whether they are associated with specific inflammatory diseases, and what target molecules they act on. A better understanding of these factors will increase the chances of finding cures and developing better treatments for important inflammatory diseases of the ageing population.Read moreRead less
Versatile elastin based hybrid hydrogels for chondrocyte transplantation and repair. Cartilage repair is often limited after significant trauma, sports injury and disease. This project will generate a new family of hybrid biomaterials constructed by precisely blending natural and synthetic components. These novel biomaterials will establish the foundation for manufactured prefabrication and in situ injection to promote healing.
Novel Glycoproteomic based diagnostic technology for identifying cartilage tissue turnover and repair. Osteoarthritis is a long-term debilitating disease, which results in the loss of cartilage in the joints, leading to pain and disability. This is a major problem and cost in ageing societies, yet the mechanisms of joint deterioration are still poorly understood. This project will investigate proteoglycans and proteoglycan fragments produced by cells of the joint, detailing the structure of th ....Novel Glycoproteomic based diagnostic technology for identifying cartilage tissue turnover and repair. Osteoarthritis is a long-term debilitating disease, which results in the loss of cartilage in the joints, leading to pain and disability. This is a major problem and cost in ageing societies, yet the mechanisms of joint deterioration are still poorly understood. This project will investigate proteoglycans and proteoglycan fragments produced by cells of the joint, detailing the structure of their sugar components, and map which regions are interacting with antibodies. Understanding these proteoglycan fragments will help us to determine their role in disease progression, and application of this knowledge will assist in the development of an early diagnostic for osteoarthritis.Read moreRead less
Molecular mechanisms of stem cell self-renewal. Muscle growth and regeneration is critically dependent on its stem cell compartment. We have discovered that the p38 MAPK pathway is essential for stem cell self-renewal in the C2C12 myogenic cell line. This proposal seeks to understand the molecular basis of stem cell self-renewal in skeletal muscles, data that may be applicable to many stem cell systems, and to the enormous promise of stem cell therapies for injury and diseases of the aged. We wi ....Molecular mechanisms of stem cell self-renewal. Muscle growth and regeneration is critically dependent on its stem cell compartment. We have discovered that the p38 MAPK pathway is essential for stem cell self-renewal in the C2C12 myogenic cell line. This proposal seeks to understand the molecular basis of stem cell self-renewal in skeletal muscles, data that may be applicable to many stem cell systems, and to the enormous promise of stem cell therapies for injury and diseases of the aged. We will attempt to alter the balance of stem cell production by enforced p38 expression, and take microarray and proteomics approaches to define stem cell pathways.Read moreRead less
Regulation of mammalian heart development by transcription factors FHL2, GATA-4 & FOG-2. FHL2 is involved in many biological processes including intracellular signaling and gene transcription. GATA and FOG proteins are critical for the development of diverse tissues, including the heart. Knowledge gained in this project will advance our understanding of many cellular processes, including heart development, and will contribute to our knowledge in Biology, Zoology and Veterinary Science. More spe ....Regulation of mammalian heart development by transcription factors FHL2, GATA-4 & FOG-2. FHL2 is involved in many biological processes including intracellular signaling and gene transcription. GATA and FOG proteins are critical for the development of diverse tissues, including the heart. Knowledge gained in this project will advance our understanding of many cellular processes, including heart development, and will contribute to our knowledge in Biology, Zoology and Veterinary Science. More specifically, it will contribute to Stem Cell research, a 'hot' area in the biotechnology industry, particularly towards building a strong base of expertise, skills and technological capability in this new field, and may even lead to the development of a commercial product e.g. a heart muscle cell-coated biomaterial to aid failing heart.Read moreRead less