Interactions Between H5N1 And The Respiratory Epithelium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$623,065.00
Summary
This project examines the hypothesis that the severity of H5N1 infection is due to activation of signalling pathways in the lung not activated by human influenza and leads to fluid accumulation in the lungs death of respiratory cells. This study will improve our understanding of influenza infection and identify targets for treatment of H5N1.
Novel Analgesic Approaches: Harnessing Functional Interactions Between Sodium Channels And Opioids
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$329,076.00
Summary
Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that affects the life of one five Australians and has significant socioeconomic impact. Currently available pain killers often do not work, or have intolerable side effects. We have discovered that combination treatment with opioids and a novel venom-derived compound discovered by us provides effective pain relief. The aim of this project is to understand the mechanisms underlying this synergistic effect to develop new treatment approaches for pain.
Silencing Visceral Nociceptors By Targeting NaV1.1: A Novel Therapeutic Approach For Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$696,809.00
Summary
Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome suffer from chronic abdominal pain and co-morbidities such as over-active bladder. These symptoms arise from sensory nerve fibres in the colon and bladder that signal pain to innocuous stimuli. We are excited to report that a specific voltage-gated sodium channel, called NaV1.1, plays a key pathological role in generating these symptoms. Here, we will specifically target and block NaV1.1 expressing pain-sensing neurons, provide key advances for therapies.
The Role Of Sodium Channels In Pain And Cold Allodynia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$349,306.00
Summary
Many types of chronic pain remain poorly treated and severely impact the quality of life of millions of Australians. Cold allodynia in particular, which occurs in several painful human conditions and leads to severe pain from simply touching a cool surface or item, is poorly understood and thus difficult to treat. The aim of this project is to determine the pharmacological mechanism of cold allodynia to develop novel treatment approaches.
The Effects Of Human Epilepsy Mutations On Synaptic GABA-A Receptors Studied By Localization-based Superresolution Microscopy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$524,215.00
Summary
The genetic epilepsies are debilitating neurological disorders that are frequently associated with mutations in genes encoding neurotransmitter-gated receptors in the brain. The goal of this project is to understand mechanisms that cause changes in neuronal communication and lead to epilepsy on a single receptor level. This will lead to an improved understanding of the mechanisms of epileptogenesis and new insights into ways of treating different epilepsies.
The Role Of Force-sensing Ion Channels In Melanoma Migration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$553,848.00
Summary
Metastasis of melanoma cells away from the primary tumour site carries a very poor patient prognosis.This research aims to characterise a novel signalling pathway that can regulate the migration (movement) of melanoma cells. This signalling pathway depends on force-sensing platforms that can rapidly convert physical inputs from the environment into an electrical signal within the cell. We are working to understand how these force-sensors function.
The cells that produce and maintain our cartilage, known as chondrocytes, do so by sensing changes in the mechanical environment, but precisely how chondrocytes detect these changes is not known. We are investigating the role of ion channels that are opened in direct response to mechanical movements within the cartilage.This project plans to identify the specific molecules that are participating in this process and to determine if they are therapeutic targets for treatment of osteoarthritis
How Does Sudden Cardiac Death Occur In Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,312,606.00
Summary
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death but the mechanisms for the induction of arrhythmia are unknown. This proposal has the potential to impact sudden death in the young and enable significant expansion of Australia’s research capacity into the treatment of familial hypertrophic heart disease in humans.
A Pharmacological Approach To Define The Contribution Of Nav1.7 To Pain Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$501,467.00
Summary
Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that affects the life of one in five Australians and has significant socioeconomic impact. Currently available pain killers often do not work, or have intolerable side effects. We have discovered the most selective blocker for a specific type of sodium channel that is a known pain target and will use this novel molecule to gain insight into the mechanisms of pain and to develop new pain killers.
Physiological Function Of Nedd4-2 In Regulating The Epithelial Sodium Channel And Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$949,572.00
Summary
Optimal transport of sodium and chloride ions is essential for the maintenance of electrolyte balance, blood volume, blood pressure and lung function. We are studying the control of a key sodium channel (the epithelial sodium channel) and a key chloride channel (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) by an enzyme called Nedd4-2. This project will enable us to understand how Nedd4-2 regulates these two ion channels and to study the pathological consequences of the loss of Nedd4-2.