Modelling cell invasion incorporating the epithelial to mesenchymal transition: Exploring therapies to control wound healing and cancer progression. Cancer and wounds are closely related, commonly lethal, diseases. Both require cell growth and invasion. This project will apply experimental measurements to create new mathematical models of cancer and wounds; models that will inform new targets and strategies for the treatment of these deadly diseases.
Image-guided skin microbiopsy technology development. There is a need for targeted biopsies in dermatology. This novel technology enables minimally invasive biopsies to be taken from suspicious skin lesions by integrating micromedical and imaging devices.
Identification of genes regulating breast cancer progression and metastasis. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in women in Australia. Although the treatments have improved over the last thirty years, many women still die from relapse of the disease. Our goal is to identify genes involved in the regulation of breast cancer progression and metastasis. This may lead to the discovery of druggable molecules for better targeted therapies for patients.
Human skin equivalent constructs: enhanced culturing and application of laboratory-grown skin through mathematical modelling and in silico experimentation. Laboratory-grown human skin equivalent constructs, given social and legislative imperatives, will be critical for advances in novel treatment protocol definitions for wound repair, dermatogical screening of pharmacueticals and fundamental studies of skin diseases.
In silico studies undertaken in this project will make a significant contrib ....Human skin equivalent constructs: enhanced culturing and application of laboratory-grown skin through mathematical modelling and in silico experimentation. Laboratory-grown human skin equivalent constructs, given social and legislative imperatives, will be critical for advances in novel treatment protocol definitions for wound repair, dermatogical screening of pharmacueticals and fundamental studies of skin diseases.
In silico studies undertaken in this project will make a significant contribution to the effectiveness of the application of human skin constructs, by delivering new and deeper insights into the interplay between dependent processes that regulate the behaviour of skin, in vivo or ex vivo. The models and the researchers associated with this project will drive innovative studies in medical science over the next decade.Read moreRead less
Benthic Processes and Oceanic Internal Waves. Direct observations will be made of the turbulent motion and sediment re-suspension near the sea bed of the ocean in regions strongly influenced by tides and internal waves. Combined with numerical models, the study will provide new insights into processes that are of fundamental importance to understanding the global dissipation of tidal energy and the role of internal waves in these processes. With observations from the continental slope region of ....Benthic Processes and Oceanic Internal Waves. Direct observations will be made of the turbulent motion and sediment re-suspension near the sea bed of the ocean in regions strongly influenced by tides and internal waves. Combined with numerical models, the study will provide new insights into processes that are of fundamental importance to understanding the global dissipation of tidal energy and the role of internal waves in these processes. With observations from the continental slope region of the Australian North West Shelf, results will also benefit the offshore engineering industry through knowledge of sediment scour and loadings on offshore structures.Read moreRead less
A new hierarchy of mathematical models to quantify the role of ghrelin during cell invasion. Ghrelin is a recently-discovered growth factor that regulates appetite and promotes tumour growth by enhancing cell invasion. The mechanisms by which ghrelin enhances cell invasion are, at present, unknown. This innovative project will develop a new hierarchy of multiscale mathematical models that will be used to quantify how ghrelin modulates cell behaviour (motility, proliferation and death) and provid ....A new hierarchy of mathematical models to quantify the role of ghrelin during cell invasion. Ghrelin is a recently-discovered growth factor that regulates appetite and promotes tumour growth by enhancing cell invasion. The mechanisms by which ghrelin enhances cell invasion are, at present, unknown. This innovative project will develop a new hierarchy of multiscale mathematical models that will be used to quantify how ghrelin modulates cell behaviour (motility, proliferation and death) and provide insight into the precise details of how ghrelin promotes cell invasion. This project will demonstrate the potential for ghrelin-based strategies to control cell invasion. By linking appetite regulation and tumour growth, the outcomes from this project will inform Australian health policy in this important area.Read moreRead less
Identifying mitogenic signalling proteins with phosphatidyl inositol lipids. Health care of an ageing population is a national priority of the community. In order to understand the factors that control cell growth and death in cancer cells signalling proteins can be identified and studied and compared with model systems from quiescent cells. Using phospholipids attached to 'fishing lines' we can search for, identify and study the function of all the downstream signalling proteins in activated c ....Identifying mitogenic signalling proteins with phosphatidyl inositol lipids. Health care of an ageing population is a national priority of the community. In order to understand the factors that control cell growth and death in cancer cells signalling proteins can be identified and studied and compared with model systems from quiescent cells. Using phospholipids attached to 'fishing lines' we can search for, identify and study the function of all the downstream signalling proteins in activated cancer cells. This will provide the basic information for drug discovery processes to target specific molecules that inhibit and control the function of the signalling proteins implicated in the growth of cancer cells.Read moreRead less
Regulation of cell surface sialylation by targeting the CMP-sialic acid transporter and sialyltransferase: Towards the development of anti-metastatic agents. The mortality rates for many of the cancers afflicting the world's population are mirrored in Australia, particularly colon cancer. It's generally accepted that colon cancer, and cancers as a whole, are a significant healthcare issue in this country, representing a major challenge to biomedical researchers and healthcare professional. The e ....Regulation of cell surface sialylation by targeting the CMP-sialic acid transporter and sialyltransferase: Towards the development of anti-metastatic agents. The mortality rates for many of the cancers afflicting the world's population are mirrored in Australia, particularly colon cancer. It's generally accepted that colon cancer, and cancers as a whole, are a significant healthcare issue in this country, representing a major challenge to biomedical researchers and healthcare professional. The economic and social impact is immense, placing a huge strain on the healthcare system, as well as on the families affected. Any alternative treatment reducing cancer metastasis would be of enormous national and international benefit. It's believed that the significant studies outlined in this proposal, which are based on exciting preliminary data, will make a sizeable contribution to achieving this goal.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of phosphatidylinositol and inositol polyphosphate derivatives to probe key signalling proteins associated with cell growth and cancer. Health care of an ageing population is a national priority of the community. In order to understand the factors that control cell growth and death in cancer cells signalling proteins can be identified and studied and compared with model systems from quiescent cells. Using phospholipids and inositol polyphosphates attached to 'fishing lines' we can sea ....Synthesis of phosphatidylinositol and inositol polyphosphate derivatives to probe key signalling proteins associated with cell growth and cancer. Health care of an ageing population is a national priority of the community. In order to understand the factors that control cell growth and death in cancer cells signalling proteins can be identified and studied and compared with model systems from quiescent cells. Using phospholipids and inositol polyphosphates attached to 'fishing lines' we can search for, identify and study the function of many of the downstream signalling proteins in activated cancer cells. This will provide the basic information for discovery processes to target specific molecules that inhibit and control the function of the signalling proteins implicated in the growth of cancer cells.Read moreRead less
Structure and function of a new class of multi-zinc finger (MZF) transcriptional regulators. An understanding of how genes are switched on and off during the development and lifetime of an organism is central to developing the ability to fight many diseases in a rational way. This project will advance our knowledge in this area at a fundamental molecular level by examining the mechanisms through which a specific set of proteins controls gene expression.