A Preclinical Model Of Relapse In Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$573,515.00
Summary
Leukaemia is the most common type of cancer in children but resistance to therapy continues to be a significant problem. This project will investigate the biology of drug-resistance and relapse using a mouse model that replicates the human disease. We hope to identify novel therapeutic targets that can be used in combination with existing therapies to improve outcomes in this disease. We also hope to identify markers that can be used to screen for patients at increased risk of relapse.
Horizontal And Vertical Transmission Mechanisms Of Staphylococcus Aureus Multiresistance Plasmids
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,993.00
Summary
Strains of Golden Staph bacteria resistant to many antibiotics are a major cause of serious hospital-acquired, and increasingly community-acquired, infections. The bacteria have mechanisms that cause efficient transmission of resistance genes to their offspring as well as to other strains. This project aims to elucidate key features of these mechanisms so that treatments can be devised that disrupt the maintenance and transfer of resistance, so as to prolong the effectiveness of antibiotics.
N-Acetyl Cysteine In Schizophrenia Resistant To Clozapine: A Double-Blind Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial Targeting Negative Symptoms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$981,789.00
Summary
Many patients with schizophrenia remain treatment resistant even after “last resort” medications like clozapine. This proposal will conduct a novel multi-site randomised placebo controlled trial of adjunctive N-acetyl cysteine in patients with clozapine resistant schizophrenia. Treatment efficacy will be examined at 8, 26 and 52 weeks.
Centre For Translational Neuroscience: A Modular Platform For Translating Discovery Into Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,623,735.00
Summary
Clinical Centre of Research Excellence in Translational Neuroscience will provide people, pathways and resources to create a novel platform to take the outputs of Neuroscience Discovery programs though to improved patient outcomes for common brain diseases. A critical role will be to train and equip the best and brightest of the next generation of researchers to undertake internationally competitive translational neuroscience research that makes a difference to the health of our community.
Dual Targeting Of The Androgen Receptor For Effective And Durable Control Of Lethal Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$946,177.00
Summary
Preventing binding of androgens to the androgen receptor is the mainstay treatment for advanced prostate cancer, but resistance inevitably develops and the disease becomes lethal. We will develop a new drug that targets a part of the androgen receptor unrelated to its androgen binding function to overcome resistance to current therapy. As this drug will be effective in all stages of prostate cancer, it has high potential to improve survival outcomes for men with prostate cancer.
Identification of novel therapeutic targets for selectively eliminating cancer stem cells in paediatric leukaemia. Leukaemia is the most common form of cancer in children, and while the majority of children can be cured, those who relapse face a dire prognosis. It is widely believed that leukemic stem cells are responsible for relapse and this project will aim to unravel their underlying biology and identify new targets for therapeutic approaches to the disease.
Development Of A New High Throughput Screen For Drug Binding To HERG K+ Channels
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$351,320.00
Summary
Inadvertent drug block of hERG, a potassium channel in the heart, can cause cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Screening for hERG toxicity has become a major hurdle for development of new drugs. We will use a mutant hERG protein that has enhanced drug binding to develop a high throughput test for hERG toxicity. Identification of dangerous drugs early in the drug discovery process will save the pharmaceutical industry millions of dollars in the costs of brining new drugs to market.
Centre Of Research Excellence In Medicines Intelligence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence is a co-ordinated research program that will accelerate the development and translation of evidence on prescribed medicines use and outcomes for regulators and payers. The CRE is perfectly placed to embrace the national ‘call to action’ from the Health Minister's recent announcement to establish Quality Use of Medicine Safety as a National Health Priority.
Glycine Transporters regulate the concentration of glycine in the spinal cord and brain. It has been suggested that elevating glycine levels in these regions may be useful in treating pain and schizophrenia. This project will provide the basis for the development of new glycine transport inhibitors that may be used to treat these conditions.
Glucocorticoid Resistance In Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,721.00
Summary
Glucocorticoids are among the most effective drugs used in the treatment of many haematological malignancies, including leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. However, the development of tumour cell resistance to these drugs remains a significant problem, and clinically relevant mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance remain poorly understood. This project aims to define mechanisms of resistance to glucocorticoids and develop new drugs to reverse resistance.