In Vivo Investigation Of Human PR3 Transgenic Mice: A Novel Animal Model To Understand The Role Of PR3 In Chronic Inflammation And Autoimmune Vasculitis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$378,615.00
Summary
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a form of vasculitis and is associated with antibodies directed against proteinase 3 (PR3). PR3 is expressed in neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages and has a number of well-characterized pro-inflammatory functions. The aim of this project is to understand the role of PR3 in inflammation and autoimmune vasculitis in vivo. This will be achieved using a transgenic mouse model expressing human PR3.
Investigation Of The Molecular Basis Of Frailty And Development Of Frailty Biomarkers In A Novel Mouse Ageing Model
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
Frailty is a state of high vulnerability for adverse health outcomes, and the prevalence of frailty increases with increasing age. There is very little known about why frailty develops, and there is also no widely accepted, efficient method of determining if someone is frail. This project will test blood markers for frailty, that will allow for optimization of treatment for older frail people and use mouse models of frailty to learn more about why frailty develops.
The Role Of Dendritic MRNA Decay In Synaptic Plasticity & Cognition
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$417,193.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is characterized by abnormal contacts between brain cells, known as synapses. Maintenance of synapses requires the translation of gene products, termed mRNA, into protein. Schizophrenia has been associated with genes involved in the degradation of mRNA, which buffers translation and thus protein levels. My research therefore seeks to study the role of mRNA decay in synaptic structure, synaptic function and cognition.
Interactions Between Developmental NMDA Receptor Dysfunction, Genetic Vulnerability And Early-life Stress In Schizophrenia: Studies Of Dysbindin Mutant Mice And Living Individuals At High Risk Of Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$347,457.00
Summary
This project will investigate two key pathways implicated in schizophrenia: glutamatergic (excitatory) neurotransmission and stress signalling. We will study how glutamatergic deficits emerge across postnatal development, in the presence or absence of early-life stress, in a schizophrenia-relevant mouse model, and investigate the interactions between stress and glutamatergic deficits in neuroepithelial cells from living individuals at high risk of schizophrenia.
Developing Mouse Models Of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma For Therapeutic Discovery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
Diffuse large B cell lymphomas are aggressive cancers of white blood cells. Gene mutations play significant yet poorly understood roles in the cause of these lymphomas and their resistance to drug treatments. I plan to develop new mouse models of lymphoma to identify factors that cause lymphoma to develop in living organisms and factors that cause them to resist drug treatment. I will also test if combinations of multiple drugs can effectively and safely treat these lymphomas.
Hypoallergenic Proteins As Novel Immunotherapeutic Candidates For Food Allergy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
The rate of food allergy has tripled over the past decade and is a leading cause of food related anaphylaxis in Australia. Allergen immunotherapy can help patients develop tolerance to the allergenic food. This research will investigate the potential of hypoallergenic derivatives of two major food allergens as novel desensitisation therapeutics, addressing an issue of significant importance to human health, paving the way for research on advanced therapeutics for paediatric food allergy.
To Determine Whether Myc-driven Transformation In Haematopoietic Cell Lineages Is Dependent On High-levels Of Myc Protein Expression.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,896.00
Summary
Myc is an essential cellular protein but is also a common drive of cancer in multiple tissues. In blood cancers Myc is frequently overexpressed. In contrast, Myc is rarely overexpressed in early stage solid cancers, although often elevated levels at later stages. We will employ unique models of cancer in which Myc can be activated at different set levels at different times during blood cell development to address what the specific contributions of different levels of Myc are in the evolution of ....Myc is an essential cellular protein but is also a common drive of cancer in multiple tissues. In blood cancers Myc is frequently overexpressed. In contrast, Myc is rarely overexpressed in early stage solid cancers, although often elevated levels at later stages. We will employ unique models of cancer in which Myc can be activated at different set levels at different times during blood cell development to address what the specific contributions of different levels of Myc are in the evolution of blood cancers.Read moreRead less
Identiification Of Novel Biomarkers And Therapeutic Targets For The Treatment Of Pancreatic Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,463.00
Summary
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with an appalling prognosis - only 6% of patient survive 5 years after diagnosis. The aim of this research is to use new technologies to find out how pancreatic cells become malignant and why the cancerous cells are so drug resistant. The goal is to ideantify cell markers to guide drug treatment design and new targets for antibody therapy. By combining emerging technologies we hope to achieve break-through outcomes in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.