Novel Therapeutic Strategies To Reduce The Burden Of Chronic Heart Failure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,928,323.00
Summary
The broad aims of the Program are to develop novel strategies in the prevention and treatment of chronic heart failure. This will involve investigating new targets for pharmacological therapies, evaluating whether common co-morbid disease states such as diabetes alter the efficacy of these therapies and investigating the role of stem-cell therapy in this setting. The Program will also evaluate the contribution of non-heart failure drugs to the burden of heart failure, determine the impact of rur ....The broad aims of the Program are to develop novel strategies in the prevention and treatment of chronic heart failure. This will involve investigating new targets for pharmacological therapies, evaluating whether common co-morbid disease states such as diabetes alter the efficacy of these therapies and investigating the role of stem-cell therapy in this setting. The Program will also evaluate the contribution of non-heart failure drugs to the burden of heart failure, determine the impact of rurality on prescribing for this condition and explore systems of optimising delivery of best practice to the community. This research formalises the existing collaborative efforts of a team of investigators that span all aspects of research into the therapeutics of CHF from basic laboratory research to evaluation of patients in clinical trials and public health translational aspects of this condition. The Chief Investigators and Principal Investigators have an existing successful research collaboration which will be greatly expanded via Program.Read moreRead less
Heart Failure And Its Antecedents: Pathophysiology, Prevention And Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$9,061,084.00
Summary
Heart failure is mainly a result of coronary artery disease. It is a major cause of disability and mortality in Australia and is projected to increase markedly over the next two decades. This program brings together clinical and basic science expertise to address aspects of the prevention and control of coronary disease and heart failure. The outcomes that will arise will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the progression from stable heart disease to failure.
Prevention And Treatment Of Chronic Heart And Kidney Disease Via Epidemiological, Pharmacol Device And Cell-Based Approaches
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,795,334.00
Summary
Heart failure describes where the heart cannot pump adequately to meet the needs of the body. This condition has a high mortality despite recent advances in therapy, therefore, there is an urgent need for new approaches to this condition. The present grant aims to: (1) identify patients at high-risk for future development of this condition where early intervention with drugs may reduce or prevent the development of new heart failure; (2) use novel drugs, devices and stem cell therapies to identi ....Heart failure describes where the heart cannot pump adequately to meet the needs of the body. This condition has a high mortality despite recent advances in therapy, therefore, there is an urgent need for new approaches to this condition. The present grant aims to: (1) identify patients at high-risk for future development of this condition where early intervention with drugs may reduce or prevent the development of new heart failure; (2) use novel drugs, devices and stem cell therapies to identify ways to better treat patients with existing disease; (3) focus on the effect of heart failure on the kidney and vice versa via early diagnosis and treatment strategiesRead moreRead less
Integration Of Risk Evaluation In Cardiovascular Disease Management Programs.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,162,176.00
Summary
This study will determine the feasibility of a coordinated health care team approach to the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. It will examine a range of issues – who would most benefit from this approach, its value for money, the relative importance of health care services to consumers, and where to invest additional health funds. Built on strong collaborations between expert researchers in advanced diagnostic techniques, coordinated health care, community health care and health economics, ....This study will determine the feasibility of a coordinated health care team approach to the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. It will examine a range of issues – who would most benefit from this approach, its value for money, the relative importance of health care services to consumers, and where to invest additional health funds. Built on strong collaborations between expert researchers in advanced diagnostic techniques, coordinated health care, community health care and health economics, this provides a unique opportunity to benefit millions of Australians.Read moreRead less
Molecular Mechanisms Of Cardiac Function And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$8,213,642.00
Summary
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in our society. Almost two million Australians suffer from the debilitating effects of heart disease and it is the leading cause of premature permanent disability in our workers. Heart defects are also the most common type of birth defect and the leading cause of deaths in infants dying from birth defects. Many of these problems can be attributed directly to defects in the development, repair and-or function of heart muscle and, at the cellular le ....Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in our society. Almost two million Australians suffer from the debilitating effects of heart disease and it is the leading cause of premature permanent disability in our workers. Heart defects are also the most common type of birth defect and the leading cause of deaths in infants dying from birth defects. Many of these problems can be attributed directly to defects in the development, repair and-or function of heart muscle and, at the cellular level, of heart muscle cells or cardiomyocytes. Understanding the cardiomyocyte as well as integrated heart development, biology, physiology and function, therefore, holds great promise for major advances in the prevention and treatment of contemporary heart diseases. This Program Grant brings together a unique team of interactive researchers with expertise in cardiovascular physiology, as well as developmental, cellular and molecular biology. The outcomes anticipated from new insights into heart biology that will result from the proposed studies, are the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the prevention and treatment of heart attacks and heart failure.Read moreRead less
Molecular Mechanisms Of Cardiac Function And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,053,131.00
Summary
Adult-onset heart disease remains the leading cause of death and disability in our society, with almost 2 million Australians affected. Furthermore, structural heart malformations are the most common type of abnormality at birth and the leading cause of deaths in infants dying from non-infectious causes. Many of these problems are due to defects in the development, repair and-or function of heart muscle cells or cardiomyocytes. Thus, we propose to understand, in fine detail, cardiomyocyte as wel ....Adult-onset heart disease remains the leading cause of death and disability in our society, with almost 2 million Australians affected. Furthermore, structural heart malformations are the most common type of abnormality at birth and the leading cause of deaths in infants dying from non-infectious causes. Many of these problems are due to defects in the development, repair and-or function of heart muscle cells or cardiomyocytes. Thus, we propose to understand, in fine detail, cardiomyocyte as well as integrated heart development, biology, physiology and function as a prerequisite for the development of major advances in the prevention and treatment of these disorders.Read moreRead less
Advances In Clinical Trials Research And Evidence Based Decision Making
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$6,712,859.00
Summary
The NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney aims to use clinical trials and methodological research in trials to improve health in Australia and internationally It is a member of many international collaborative trials groups, especially in heart disease and cancer. A particular area of interest is patient preferences and decision making, particularly in cancer. The Clinical Trial Centre is active in using data from its own and other clinical trials in combined analyses to arriv ....The NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney aims to use clinical trials and methodological research in trials to improve health in Australia and internationally It is a member of many international collaborative trials groups, especially in heart disease and cancer. A particular area of interest is patient preferences and decision making, particularly in cancer. The Clinical Trial Centre is active in using data from its own and other clinical trials in combined analyses to arrive at better evidence.Read moreRead less
Molecular Determinants Of Risk, Progression And Treatement Response In Melenoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$12,947,193.00
Summary
Melanoma is a major Australian health problem. It is the third most common cancer in men and women and has a disproportionately heavy impact on productive years of life because it is the common cause of cancer death in younger adults. The investigators are all associated with the Melanoma Institute Australia, incorporating the Sydney Melanoma Unit (SMU). MIA is the world’s largest clinical service dedicated to the treatment of melanoma, treating >1500 new melanoma patients annually and mainta ....Melanoma is a major Australian health problem. It is the third most common cancer in men and women and has a disproportionately heavy impact on productive years of life because it is the common cause of cancer death in younger adults. The investigators are all associated with the Melanoma Institute Australia, incorporating the Sydney Melanoma Unit (SMU). MIA is the world’s largest clinical service dedicated to the treatment of melanoma, treating >1500 new melanoma patients annually and maintains a repository of clinical data on melanoma and a large melanoma tissue bank. The Program has also recruited large numbers of people from the community, as well as people with a strong family history of melanoma, in order to study its causes. It aims to utilise these internationally-recognised resources to develop a scientific basis for 1) improved management of individuals at high risk for development and progression of melanoma, and 2) improved treatment of patients with early and disseminated melanoma, in an era of rapid change in the prospects of successfully treating this dangerous cancer. The Program will do this by consolidating and extending its existing collaborative research, supported by NHMRC since 2006.Read moreRead less
Many new therapies are being developed to treat stroke and prevent its recurrence. While a number of these have been successfully introduced, there is a puzzling gap between evidence of efficacy in animal models and humans. One of the main reasons may be lack of an integrated approach between the basic sciences and clinical researchers. By assembling a team with skills in both areas and a structure to maximise communication between groups this team plan to incrementally introduce new therapies i ....Many new therapies are being developed to treat stroke and prevent its recurrence. While a number of these have been successfully introduced, there is a puzzling gap between evidence of efficacy in animal models and humans. One of the main reasons may be lack of an integrated approach between the basic sciences and clinical researchers. By assembling a team with skills in both areas and a structure to maximise communication between groups this team plan to incrementally introduce new therapies into clinical practice.Read moreRead less
Regulation Of Neural Cell Production In The Normal And Diseased Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$6,888,658.00
Summary
Members of this team are at the forefront of research into the molecular control of nerve cell production and function in the developing and adult brain. They were responsible, often through collaboration, for many of the major discoveries demonstrating that stem cells in the brain of adult animals can generate new nerve cells; this revolutionised our concept of the brain and opened-up the possibility of therapeutic repair of neural damage through stimulation of a patient?s own stem cells. Disco ....Members of this team are at the forefront of research into the molecular control of nerve cell production and function in the developing and adult brain. They were responsible, often through collaboration, for many of the major discoveries demonstrating that stem cells in the brain of adult animals can generate new nerve cells; this revolutionised our concept of the brain and opened-up the possibility of therapeutic repair of neural damage through stimulation of a patient?s own stem cells. Discovering the molecular mechanisms controlling this process is the goal of the present program. In order to achieve this aim we have formed a team on the basis of considerable past success, as well as future requirements. The team members have the complementary skills to assess all aspects of the problem, including crucial functional and clinical expertise. By combining resources we will position ourselves at the very forefront of the international competition to discover and to evaluate clinically the molecular mechanisms underlying neural repair and regeneration. This is of enormous significance in determining how we best treat stroke, injury and other neurodegenerative diseases in the next 10 years, and will lead to the development of new therapeutics of immense value. The team will use innovative approaches such as cell-sorting to obtain pure populations of stem cells and their progeny in order to identify new therapeutic targets; these will then be validated in animal models of neurological disease. Since team members have previously been involved in progressing molecular discovery to clinical trials, we are also in a good position to exploit these discoveries in partnership with the biopharmaceutical industry.Read moreRead less