GABA(B) Receptor Modulation Of Gastrointestinal Function In Health And Disease By Alpha-Conotoxins
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$689,050.00
Summary
Chronic visceral pain is a common and debilitating condition arising from numerous diseases that affect our internal organs. There is a desperate need for more information about the mechanisms responsible for signalling chronic visceral pain to provide therapies and potentially find a cure for it. Our research focuses on ?-conotoxins (small peptides from marine cone snail venom) as novel potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic visceral pain.
Cell Surface Mucins In Gastrointestinal Infection, Inflammation And Cancer Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,627.00
Summary
Cell surface mucins are protective molecules that line all the wet surface of the body, including the gastrointestinal tract. Our research has uncovered that mucins regulate cell growth and cell death. Inappropriate control by the mucins, could lead to chronic inflammation and formation of cancers. We will test how important these molecules are in the development of cancers in the intestine, and further explore the mechanism of action.
Deadly Commute - Targeting The Trafficking Mechanisms That Licence Inflammatory Cell Death
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$774,544.00
Summary
MLKL is a protein naturally found inside cells. MLKL is activated by inflammation. Once activated, MLKL relocates to the outer periphery of cells and kills them. Gut cells are especially vulnerable to death-by-MLKL and this problem causes Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Using cutting edge microscopy, we have discovered how MLKL moves to the periphery of cells prior to killing them. We will test if blocking this movement of MLKL to the cell periphery stops gut death and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Regulation Of NOD Signalling By IAPs And RIP Kinases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$643,172.00
Summary
Alterations in NOD signalling have been implicated in various human inflammatory diseases, particularly in Crohn’s disease and asthma. In this project we will identify new molecules that regulate NOD signalling and test the effect of drugs that inhibit known components of these pathways to determine their utility in treating inflammatory diseases.
Host Cell Death Signaling And Susceptibility To Bacterial Gut Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$682,321.00
Summary
Bacterial infections are a major cause of infectious disease worldwide. Here we aim to characterise immune responses that help fight infection by E. coli and Salmonella. These bacteria have evolved ways to shut down many of our immune responses during infection, allowing them to survive and cause disease. This work will help understand the complex relationship between gut bacteria and our immune system and provide solutions for controlling infection and treating immune disorders of the gut.
Chronic inflammation underlies common and debilitating diseases and causes pain by unknown mechanisms. There is an urgent need to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of chronic pain, which will allow the development of improved therapies with fewer side-effects. Our research program investigates the mechanisms of pain that are associated with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, with the goal of developing more effective and selective therapies.