Molecular Regulation Of CRH Gene Expression In The Human Placenta
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$70,285.00
Summary
Approximately 70% of infant death is a result of premature birth. Preterm delivery occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in this rate in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and preterm birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotropin releasing hormon ....Approximately 70% of infant death is a result of premature birth. Preterm delivery occurs in 6-10% of pregnancies, and there has been no reduction in this rate in the last 30 years. This is largely because we remain ignorant of how normal and preterm birth is controlled. Understanding the physiology of human pregnancy is a critical step in the development of ways to detect and prevent preterm birth. Our group has demonstrated a link between production of a hormone (corticotropin releasing hormone, CRH) in the placenta and the length of time the baby is carried in the mother. In women who will deliver prematurely the rise in CRH production occurs earlier and more rapidly, while in women who deliver late the rise occurs more slowly. This work has led to the concept of a biological clock that determines the length of time the fetus will be carried by the mother before birth, and in which production of CRH in the placenta plays a central role. We have been studying how the CRH gene is controlled in placental cells. We have discovered some regions in the DNA of the CRH gene which have important roles in controlling how much CRH is made by the placenta. The experiments described in this project will determine the molecular mechanisms that control the production of CRH in the human placenta. This will be done by examining the DNA sequences involved in controlling the CRH gene and by identifying the proteins that actually perform the regulating functions that result in either increased or decreased amounts of CRH being produced by the placenta. This important information will help us better understand how normal and preterm birth is controlled, and from that knowledge new ways to detect and prevent premature birth can be developed.Read moreRead less
Alpha-2-Macroglobulin And The Transport And Uptake Of The Hormone, Hepcidin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$533,541.00
Summary
Hepcidin is a peptide hormone that is a major regulator of iron metabolism. It has been suggested that hepcidin is free in the blood. However, we recently identified that hepcidin binds with alpha-2-macroglobulin (a2-M) in the plasma and this increases the efficacy of this peptide. The demonstration that a2-M plays a role in hepcidin biology will lead to a better understanding of hepcidin physiology, the development of methods for its measurement and improved treatment of iron related diseases.
Optimal Duration Of Neoadjuvant Androgen Deprivation Therapy In Localised Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$275,000.00
Summary
Each year approximately 8000 men in Australia and New Zealand develop prostate cancer which has not spread widely and which is amenable to attempted cure by surgery or radiation. Prostate cancer depends for its growth on the male hormone, testosterone, which circulates in the blood. As a result treatment which reduces testosterone level ('androgen deprivation' [AD] therapy) can produce shrinkage of prostate cancer. In fact AD has caused temporary but valued relief to millions of men with cancer ....Each year approximately 8000 men in Australia and New Zealand develop prostate cancer which has not spread widely and which is amenable to attempted cure by surgery or radiation. Prostate cancer depends for its growth on the male hormone, testosterone, which circulates in the blood. As a result treatment which reduces testosterone level ('androgen deprivation' [AD] therapy) can produce shrinkage of prostate cancer. In fact AD has caused temporary but valued relief to millions of men with cancer of the prostate that has spread throughout the body for the last five decades, worldwide. It remains uncertain however whether AD administered before surgery or radiation will benefit any of the 8000 men each year who develop localised cancer by shrinking the cancer first. In 1996 a trial involving 800 men across Australia and New Zealand commenced under the auspices of the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) to answer the questions: 1 - Does either 3 or 6 months AD prior to radiotherapy reduce the chances of recurrence of the cancer after radiotherapy? 2 - Does such therapy reduce the volume of tissue requiring radiotherapy and hence the chances of long term side effects after radiotherapy? This grant will support collection of follow-up information from the trial and hence answers to the questions asked.Read moreRead less