Pharmacological Preconditioning And Sodium/hydrogen Exchange Inhibition To Optimise Preservation Of The Donor Pig Heart
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$242,545.00
Summary
Heart transplantation has become established as an extremely beneficial treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure, however its success is limited by the restricted availability of donor hearts. Many hearts that could be considered for heart transplantation cannot be used because of damage that can occur to potential donor hearts after the death of the donor. This damage is caused in part by deterioration in heart function after death and in part by the process of removal and cold stora ....Heart transplantation has become established as an extremely beneficial treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure, however its success is limited by the restricted availability of donor hearts. Many hearts that could be considered for heart transplantation cannot be used because of damage that can occur to potential donor hearts after the death of the donor. This damage is caused in part by deterioration in heart function after death and in part by the process of removal and cold storage that occur prior to transplantation of the heart. This study will examine two new methods of optimising the quality and preservation of the donor heart for transplantation. The treatments to be investigated in this study are aimed at preventing damage to the donor heart after death and during the process of transplantation. The studies will be conducted in a pig model of heart transplantation that we have developed in our laboratory. The treatments will be administered to the donor pig after induction of brain death and also to the recipient during transplantation of the heart. As the model closely mimics all aspects of human heart transplantation, any positive findings that stem from these studies will be directly applicable to human transplantation. Improved preservation of the donor heart will make the operation safer and will potentially increase the number of hearts that can be used for transplantation. As many donors provide multiple organs for transplantation eg kidneys, liver, lungs and pancreas, the treatments that we are investigating have the potential to improve the recovery of all these organs after transplantation.Read moreRead less
Towards A New Normokalemic Arrest Paradigm For Orthotopic Heart Transplantation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$489,634.00
Summary
Innovations from Nature to Heart Transplantation:a Real Heart Stopper Heart preservation is limited to 4-6 hours of cold-ischaemic storage (0 to 4 C). The risk of post-transplant death doubles if the donor heart is stored from 1 to 5 hours, and triples with 7 hrs storage times. We have developed a new preservation solution borrowing from natural hibernators that will permit organs to be safely stored for up to 15 hours, and offering new opportunities to organ donors and recipients worldwide.
Population Prevalence And Environmental-genetic Predictors Of Food Allergy In An Infant Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,642.00
Summary
This study will measure which children are at greatest risk of food allergy. We plan to recruit 5000 children to test for food allergies, as well as asking a range of questions on different lifestyle factors such as diet and history of allergies . If positive, participants will be invited to a hospital clinic for tests and treatment. This will allow us to describe the epidemiology of food allergy, and assist the development of better services for those with food allergy in the community.
Regulation Of Adult Colonic Crypt Homeostasis And Activation Of Colon Cancer Metastasis Genes By C-Myb
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$666,116.00
Summary
Regulation of normal colon biology and activation of genes involved colon cancer The c-myb gene is essential for the normal biology of the blood system and the colon. This gene is involved in regulating the balance between the production of new cells and their timely removal once they have completed their assigned tasks. There is a large body of evidence that supports the role of c-myb in the regulation of the blood system. We believe that the rules that govern the production of the huge number ....Regulation of normal colon biology and activation of genes involved colon cancer The c-myb gene is essential for the normal biology of the blood system and the colon. This gene is involved in regulating the balance between the production of new cells and their timely removal once they have completed their assigned tasks. There is a large body of evidence that supports the role of c-myb in the regulation of the blood system. We believe that the rules that govern the production of the huge number of cells needed to have a healthy blood system are similar if not identical to the rules used by the colon. This is because the colon also produces a massive number of cells each with special tasks and a defined life span of a few days. It is this rapid expansion of cell numbers and the programmed short life span of cells that necessitates multiple controls and very tight regulation. Furthermore if this process is hijacked by genetic changes that undermine these controls then there are numerous opportunities to initiate and potentiate malignant change or cancer. This project examines the role of the same genes in two contexts. Firstly when the genes are expressed at normal, highly regulated levels associated with the normal biology of the colon. The second context is when these genes are permitted to be over-expressed and thus drive processes for longer or in inappropriate situations leading to malignant growth.Read moreRead less
�Percent Daily Intake� Versus �Equivalent Walking Time�: Making Sense Of The Kilojoules On Food And Drink Labels
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$108,350.00
Summary
We have already established through a series of eight qualitative focus groups plus a pilot survey using a convenience sample that the Equivalent Walking Time (EWT) food label is considered more informative, useful, and difficult to ignore than other labelling systems. As such we now seek to test the EWT against other labelling systems in a more objective and robust fashion, using a much larger, representative sample.