Discovery And Mechanisms Of Host Cell Factors In HIV Uncoating
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$635,098.00
Summary
HIV entry into the host cell involves release of its capsid, a protein shell protecting the viral genome. The capsid hijacks host proteins to cloak itself from cellular defenses while the cell has evolved sensors that can block viral infection. This proposal aims to discover proteins involved in this arms race between host and virus and decipher how they control capsid disassembly. This insight will help design new drugs against HIV infection and new ways to deliver genes for gene therapies.
An Extended Follow-up Of Stroke Patients For Cognitive Impairment And Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Sydney Stroke Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$321,800.00
Summary
Vascular Dementia (VaD) is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. In fact, it may be a preventable cause of dementia. Yet it has been relatively neglected by researchers until the last decade, which has seen an upsurge of interest in this disorder. There is no consensus on the criteria for dementia. The profile of early cognitive impairment due to vascular factors is still poorly understood, and the longitudinal course of VaD as defined by modern criteria has not bee ....Vascular Dementia (VaD) is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. In fact, it may be a preventable cause of dementia. Yet it has been relatively neglected by researchers until the last decade, which has seen an upsurge of interest in this disorder. There is no consensus on the criteria for dementia. The profile of early cognitive impairment due to vascular factors is still poorly understood, and the longitudinal course of VaD as defined by modern criteria has not been studied. There have been few studies of the progressive changes in MRI in patients with cerebrovascular disease. The overlap of VaD and Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a problem for taxonomists and clinicians. One approach to the study of VaD is to examine a high risk group of subjects longitudinally to determine the early features, the risk factors and progressive changes. With this in mind, we began studying a cohort of stroke patients who are at high risk of VaD, in 1997-1999, and are following them longitudinally. The follow-up is now in its third year, and three neuropsychological assessments and two MRI-MRS scans have been performed. We propose to extend the follow-up to 5 years, with repeat neuropsychiatric, neuropsychological and MRI-MRS investigations, and wherever possible to necropsy, to determine the nature of vascular pathology that underlies cognitive impairment. Our cohort of stroke patients is arguably the most comprehensively assessed such cohorts internationally, and presents an excellent opportunity for a long-term follow-up study.Read moreRead less
Local Sleep In The Awake Brain: An Underlying Cause Of Neurobehavioural Deficits In Sleep Apnea?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$582,330.00
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder which significantly impacts daytime functioning leading to excessive sleepiness, and problems with attention and thinking. Currently, the causes for cognitive impairment in OSA (including attentional lapses and performance deficits) are poorly understood. In the awake state, groups of neurons can briefly go “offline” as they do in sleep. These periods of “local sleep” may explain impaired task performance in OSA.
Inhibition Of Cellcell Actin-based Motility During Poxvirus Infection By The Kinase Inhibitor Glivec
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,950.00
Summary
Although smallpox, one of the deadliest human pathogens, was eradicated in 1980, the current global climate has resulted in fears that smallpox may be used as a biological weapon. Unfortunately the smallpox vaccine poses a serious health hazard to certain people. We have shown that Glivec, a drug used to treat cancer, has potent anti-viral affects on poxvirus replication. This project will test the effectiveness of Glivec in treating smallpox in an animal model and study how it acts.
Scalable Visual Analytics for Uncertain Dynamic Networks. Technological advances have provided a data deluge over the past few years, and have led to many large uncertain and dynamic network models. This includes terrorist networks, marketing networks, facebook networks, various biological networks, and software engineering structures. Human understanding of such networks is difficult. This project aims to provide new methods for visual analysis of large uncertain dynamic networks such as these. ....Scalable Visual Analytics for Uncertain Dynamic Networks. Technological advances have provided a data deluge over the past few years, and have led to many large uncertain and dynamic network models. This includes terrorist networks, marketing networks, facebook networks, various biological networks, and software engineering structures. Human understanding of such networks is difficult. This project aims to provide new methods for visual analysis of large uncertain dynamic networks such as these. The algorithms developed in the project will help security analysts to monitor illegal behaviour such as money laundering and terrorist activities, help biologists understand key biological systems, and help engineers to understand large software systems.Read moreRead less
Prion-like Behaviour In Immunity: Super-sized Signalling Platforms?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$611,995.00
Summary
Prions have been mostly associated with pathologies but recent discoveries show that prion-like behaviour may be beneficial, enhancing our immune response for example. To test this, we want to systematically explore all human proteins involved in the defence against pathogens, find new prion-like trends and probe their role in the innate immune response.