The Impact Of Fluid Mechanics On Wound Healing After Glaucoma Surgery- An Engineering-based Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,400.00
Summary
Excess scarring after glaucoma surgery is the major reason why surgery fails.This study will investigate how biomechanical forces in the eye influence wound healing and provide a new approach to regulating scar formation. This will provide key information for developing surgical techniques that improve outcome and prevent vision loss. The annual cost to Australia from vision loss due to glaucoma will double to $4.3 billion by 2025 unless better treatments are developed (Access Economics).
Dental caries (tooth decay) is initiated by demineralisation of tooth hard tissue by organic acids produced by dental plaque bacteria from dietary sugars. The disease is a major public health problem and has an estimated economic burden in Australia of over $1 billion p.a. being higher than that for any other dietary-related disease. We have discovered and patented a novel amorphous calcium fluoride phosphate that is stabilised by phosphopeptides from the bovine milk protein casein. These comple ....Dental caries (tooth decay) is initiated by demineralisation of tooth hard tissue by organic acids produced by dental plaque bacteria from dietary sugars. The disease is a major public health problem and has an estimated economic burden in Australia of over $1 billion p.a. being higher than that for any other dietary-related disease. We have discovered and patented a novel amorphous calcium fluoride phosphate that is stabilised by phosphopeptides from the bovine milk protein casein. These complexes, designated CPP-ACFP, have the potential to provide superior clinical efficacy in preventing dental caries and treating and repairing early stages of disease. The aims of this project therefore are (i) to develop topical formulations of CPP-ACFP for application to teeth to repair early stages of decay and (ii) to characterise the three-dimensional structure of the CPP-ACFP complexes. The significance of this work is that a superior and novel treatment for dental caries may be developed as well as providing insight into the structure of organically-stabilised amorphous calcium phosphate and its role in biomineralisation processes.Read moreRead less
Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disorder leading to tooth loosening and, if untreated, tooth loss. Once bone destruction has occurred around teeth the treatment outcomes are severely compromised and are mainly focussed towards slowing the process of destruction rather than repairing the damage. Over the last decade, treatment of advanced periodontal disease has focussed on ways in which the damaged tissues may be regenerated. We now have gained considerable insight into the molecular and ....Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disorder leading to tooth loosening and, if untreated, tooth loss. Once bone destruction has occurred around teeth the treatment outcomes are severely compromised and are mainly focussed towards slowing the process of destruction rather than repairing the damage. Over the last decade, treatment of advanced periodontal disease has focussed on ways in which the damaged tissues may be regenerated. We now have gained considerable insight into the molecular and cellular events associated with periodontal regeneration. Despite efforts to induce regeneration through the selective use of growth and differentiation factors it is becoming obvious that the most significant factor in successful clinical outcomes is the recruitment of special cells to the site of damage which have the potential to repair tissue damage. Thus, we intend to engineer different types of periodontal matrices in the laboratory and then transplant these newly formed tissues into sites affected by periodontal disease in an attempt to repair the damage caused by the disease process.Read moreRead less
SIGN Receptors And The Antiinflammatory Activity Of Sialylated IgG Fcs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Summary
IgG antibodies are a crucial component of the immune system, and significantly contribute to host protection against cancer and infectious diseases. Additionally, therapeutic IgG antibodies have been developed for treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. The studies proposed herein will elucidate one important aspect of how IgG antibodies act as anti-inflammatory agents, and may lead to the design of more effective IgG based therapies for the treatment of inflammatory diseases or cancer.