Harnessing Systems Biology To Tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) have a devastating, long-term impact on billions of humans globally. No vaccines are available, and mass treatment strategies are leading to drug resistance. Thus, there is a major need to develop radically new and advanced interventions. By creating substantially enhanced and automated bioinformatics tools, I will unlock the fundamental molecular biology of key NTDs to underpin the design of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics as translational outcomes.
Investigating The Substrate Specificity Of The Master Kinase LKB1 And The Pharmacological Targeting Of Its Substrate NUAK2 To Treat Cancers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$384,768.00
Summary
Kinases are key regulators of cell signaling and emerging drug targets. LKB1 kinase specifically activates a set of substrates to modulate cellular processes, and its substrate NUAK2 is a novel target for cancer. I will elucidate the structural basis of how LKB1 recognizes its substrates and develop inhibitors targeting LKB1-NUAK2 interaction for cancer treatment. My project will provide key insights into kinase-dependent signaling and establish a new framework for therapeutics development.
Molecular Pharmacology Of Chemokine Receptor Signalling In Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,770.00
Summary
Molecular pharmacology is the study of how hormones, neurotransmitters and pharmaceuticals interact with our cells through receptors, which transfer a signal across the cell membrane to change the function of that cell. Chemokine receptors are recognised to play a role in the development of many cancers. Understanding how these receptors work has enormous implications for improving our ability to develop better anti-cancer treatments with fewer side effects.
Insights Into The Biology Of The Carcinogenic Blood Fluke, Schistosoma Haematobium – A First Response To The Wake-up Call
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
Schistosoma haematobium is a seriously neglected parasite that infects > 100 million people. Chronic infection severely affects the urino-genital system and causes malignant bladder cancer. Advanced technologies will be used to explore, for the first time, the molecular biology of this parasite, design new strategies to fight this insidious pathogen and understand how it induces cancer.
Developing New Therapies To Combat Tuberculosis Through Inhibition Of Vitamin B5 Metabolism In The Organism That Causes The Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$311,760.00
Summary
The metabolism of vitamin B5 by pathogenic microorganisms has been recognised as an attractive target for developing drugs to combat various infectious diseases. The aim of the proposed work is to develop inhibitors of vitamin B5 metabolism in the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, using a powerful, multidisciplinary approach known as “fragment-based drug discovery”. This work is likely to yield potent inhibitors of the target bacterium, which could ultimately be used to treat tuberculosis.
Isolation And Pre-clinical Evaluation Of Small Molecule Anti-inflammatory Compounds From Hookworms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,891.00
Summary
This project will harness the unique ability of hookworm small molecules (<10 kDa) to modulate inflammation, and exploit these properties to develop novel modalities to treat inflammatory bowel diseases, using millennia of host-parasite coevolution as a guide. The excretory/secretory and somatic extracts will be assessed for their anti-inflammatory properties using TNBS mouse model. Compounds will be separated using HPLC and identified using MS and NMR spectroscopy.
Preclinical Assessment Of The Potential Utility Of Oxytocin And A Novel Oxytocin Agonist For The Treatment Of Substance Use Disorders And Social Dysfunction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,891.00
Summary
Recent work has highlighted the utility of stimulating the brain oxytocin (OT) system in the treatment of numerous psychiatric disorders, in particular substance use disorders and social disorders (e.g. autism). I will focus on the continuation of two interrelated projects during my Fellowship: (1) preclinical exploration of OT as a novel treatment for alcohol use disorders; and (2) further developing our novel non-peptide OT agonist (SOC-1), which has profound pro-social effects.
Utilising Transgenesis To Investigate The Role Of Insulin Signaling In Helminthic Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,336.00
Summary
Helminth parasites take an enormous toll on human health, especially in developing countries. Half a billion people suffer debilitating, sometimes fatal illness as a result of these infections. These facts are all the more disturbing when one considers the prospect of nematode parasites developing resistance to the small armamentarium of drugs available for treatment. This proposal will look to further understand the biology of these parasites in order to better comprehend what genes would make ....Helminth parasites take an enormous toll on human health, especially in developing countries. Half a billion people suffer debilitating, sometimes fatal illness as a result of these infections. These facts are all the more disturbing when one considers the prospect of nematode parasites developing resistance to the small armamentarium of drugs available for treatment. This proposal will look to further understand the biology of these parasites in order to better comprehend what genes would make for practical drug or vaccine targets.Read moreRead less
Development Of Specific Modulators Of Voltage-gated Sodium Channels
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$384,479.00
Summary
This project will identify novel modulators of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels, a type of sodium-conducting integral membrane proteins, which play a central role in neuronal, muscular, and cardiac function. These modulators will be characterized in order to understand how they modify channel function and to aid their development as analgesics for the treatment of chronic pain.