Molecular Approaches To Cardiac Development, Disease And Regeneration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$863,910.00
Summary
Prof Harvey’s work explores the molecular and cellular networks that underpin heart development in the embryo and heart regeneration in the adult, and how these networks unravel in heart disease. Based on this knowledge, his work seeks to develop novel approaches for alleviating suffering in babies with congenital heart defects and adults enduring the devastating consequences of heart attack or heart failure.
Metabolic control of organ growth and regeneration. One of the fundamental questions in biology is to understand how organ size is regulated at the cellular and organismal level. The Hippo/Yap pathway plays a central role in the regulation of organ size and it is impacted by environmental cues including nutrient status. This research proposal aims to use zebrafish to elucidate the role that the Hippo/Yap pathway plays in reprogramming lipid metabolism to fuel tissue growth in development and reg ....Metabolic control of organ growth and regeneration. One of the fundamental questions in biology is to understand how organ size is regulated at the cellular and organismal level. The Hippo/Yap pathway plays a central role in the regulation of organ size and it is impacted by environmental cues including nutrient status. This research proposal aims to use zebrafish to elucidate the role that the Hippo/Yap pathway plays in reprogramming lipid metabolism to fuel tissue growth in development and regeneration. Ultimately, this work aims to identify metabolic dependencies required for organ growth and regeneration. Expected outcomes include scholarly publications revealing fundamental principles underlying tissue growth, new resources for the research community and training for research students.Read moreRead less
Adaptive reprogramming of metabolism in regeneration. . Biologists have long been intrigued at the phenomenon of organ regeneration. Unlike most human organs, the liver exhibits the remarkable capacity to regenerate. Despite decades of research, the molecular underpinnings of liver regeneration are poorly understood. This research proposal aims to use zebrafish to elucidate the pathways involved in sensing injury and activating an adaptive transcriptional and metabolic response to orchestrate re ....Adaptive reprogramming of metabolism in regeneration. . Biologists have long been intrigued at the phenomenon of organ regeneration. Unlike most human organs, the liver exhibits the remarkable capacity to regenerate. Despite decades of research, the molecular underpinnings of liver regeneration are poorly understood. This research proposal aims to use zebrafish to elucidate the pathways involved in sensing injury and activating an adaptive transcriptional and metabolic response to orchestrate regeneration. Ultimately, this works aims to understand the metabolic requirements for regeneration. Expected outcomes include scholarly publications revealing fundamental principles of regeneration, new resources and pipelines for the research community as well as training for research students.Read moreRead less
Development And Characterization Of Gallbladder Epithelial Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$729,227.00
Summary
Death of insulin-producing cells is a common feature of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, affecting over a million Australians. Although transplantation of cadaveric human islets offers cure, lack of donor islets is a major limitations. An alternative is to find other sources of insulin-producing cells. We are the first to demonstrate that insulin-producing cells are naturally found in human gallbladder. This research proposal will involve detailed characterization of human gallbladder-derived insulin ....Death of insulin-producing cells is a common feature of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, affecting over a million Australians. Although transplantation of cadaveric human islets offers cure, lack of donor islets is a major limitations. An alternative is to find other sources of insulin-producing cells. We are the first to demonstrate that insulin-producing cells are naturally found in human gallbladder. This research proposal will involve detailed characterization of human gallbladder-derived insulin-producing cells.Read moreRead less
Physiological Function Of Nedd4-2 In Regulating The Epithelial Sodium Channel
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$805,797.00
Summary
The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) controls sodium balance, blood volume and blood pressure. Abnormal regulation of ENaC is associated with conditions such as hypertension and pulmonary oedema. Delineating the regulation of ENaC is vital in understanding disease mechanisms and in defining targets for novel therapeutics for the treatment of disorders that arise due to sodium imbalance. This grant will enable us to understand how ENaC is regulated by a novel protein known as Nedd4-2.
Matching Supply And Demand: How Does Metabolism Fine-tune Signal Transduction?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
Insulin controls nutrient traffic and disrupting its actions are linked to many diseases: type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease. Here, I will test a novel hypothesis that our cells’ metabolic rate, defined by the balance between nutrient supply and energy expenditure, controls how cells respond to insulin. These metabolic regulatory nodes would play a major determinant of many essential functions linked to human health, and thus provide novel therapeutic targets for numerous diseases.
Oxidative Damage and Cell Ageing. This research will benefit Australia by providing a fundamental understanding of how cells age. This will have immediate international impact at the scientific level and will inform strategies to reduce the rate of ageing and alleviation of age-related disorders. In the longer term the research may provide commercial and social outcomes by identifying antioxidant systems that will provide a genuine benefit in reducing ageing.
Identifying The Critical Components Of Growth Factor-mediated Survival Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,338.00
Summary
The regulation of cell lifespan (cell survival) is controlled by growth factors and lies at the heart of all biological processes. However, little is known of the molecular switches inside cells that either turn survival on or off. We propose to identify and characterize the molecular switches inside cells that control the balance between cell survival and death. Targeting specific components of these switches may provide new approaches for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.
Cellular Responses to Oxidative Damage: Cell Aging. The aim of this project is to identify the mechanisms by which oxidative stress and free radical damage cause cell aging. This work will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the aging process in cells by identifying the major reactive oxygen species that contribute to cell aging, which defence systems and antioxidants provide the greatest degree of protection, what damage accumulates as cells age and which genetic systems ar ....Cellular Responses to Oxidative Damage: Cell Aging. The aim of this project is to identify the mechanisms by which oxidative stress and free radical damage cause cell aging. This work will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the aging process in cells by identifying the major reactive oxygen species that contribute to cell aging, which defence systems and antioxidants provide the greatest degree of protection, what damage accumulates as cells age and which genetic systems are activated as during the process.Read moreRead less