Understanding The Metabolic Consequences Of Impaired AMPKa2 And NNOS� In Skeletal Muscle: Implications For The Metabolic Syndrome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$575,527.00
Summary
The inability of muscle to utilise sugar from the blood is a major problem that contributes to obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Since the number of people with these diseases will at least double by 2030, we need to find out what causes this problem. We will examine whether two muscle proteins that are impaired in obesity and Type 2 diabetes are also responsible for impaired sugar utilisation. We think that increasing these muscle proteins will fix the _sugar problem�, and remedy these diseases.
The Role Of The AMPK-ACC2 Signaling Axis In Metabolic Control During Exercise And Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$540,973.00
Summary
Australian society is experiencing an epidemic of obesity that is contributing to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death. This project is investigating how exercise might prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes by examining the major pathways that regulate fat metabolism.
Restoration Of The Nigrostriatal Pathway In The Parkinsonian Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$299,431.00
Summary
Many obstacles exist for cell transplantation in Parkinson's disease; namely poor restoration of the host brain circuitry due to incorrect graft placement. This results in incomplete motor function and unwanted side effects. Through iterative studies we endeavor to restore this circuitry by placing grafts in the appropriate location and promoting their survival and growth-integrations. This will require: optimizing the donor tissue and exposure of the graft to growth stimulating factors.
The Role Of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 In Diabetic Complications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,144.00
Summary
Most heart attacks and strokes arise from narrowing of the arteries. This process is regulated by a number of hormonal pathways. One of the most important is the renin angiotensin system. Our group has demonstrated important changes in this pathway which play a pivotal role in regulating the development of atherosclerosis and its response to treatment. It is predicted that these studies will provide critical information to develop innovative treatment strategies for cardiovascular disease.
Salt And Cardiovascular Disease: Does Acute Salt-Sensitivity Convey Greater Cardiovascular Risk?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,578.00
Summary
Salt intake of Australian adults is 10X more than required. Further, salt intake in very young children is alarmingly high secondary to high consumption of salty snacks and processed food. High dietary salt intake has been associated with increased cardiovascular disease and death. We will examine the cardiovascular risks for adults and children on a high salt diet and examine whether switching to a low salt diet ameliorates the high blood pressure and heart disease caused by high salt diets
Cytokine Signalling And Insulin Resistance In Obesity.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$512,065.00
Summary
Western communities are experiencing an epidemic of obesity that is contributing to diabetes, heart disease, and premature death. This project is investigating why being overweight and obese causes diabetes. Improved understanding about how hormones regulates the body's storage and breakdown of fat and responsiveness to insulin will enable the development of new medicines for the treatment of obesity and the prevention of diabetes.
Finding The Genetic Causes Of Asthma: The Australian Asthma Genetics Consortium (AAGC)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,697,639.00
Summary
Asthma is a major burden on individuals and health systems. Despite many decades of research, no major effective new treatments for asthma have emerged recently. We will establish a large international consortium to systematically test nearly all known human genes to identify those that influence asthma susceptibility. We expect to identify pathways not previously implicated in asthma and so lead to a potential breakthrough in the development of more effective treatments.
A Multicentre Randomised Clinical Trial Of Physical Activity For The Treatment Of Patients With Alzheimers Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$773,752.00
Summary
The number of older adults living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) will increase from 26.6 million to 106.2 million by 2050. In the absence of curative treatment options it is important to focus on non-pharmacological interventions such as physical activity. We propose to investigate whether a home-based physical activity program of 24 weeks for patients with AD can successfully decrease the rate of cognitive and functional declince and improve quality of life and psychological well-being.
Mechanisms Of Infection Triggered Renal Vasculitis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$413,900.00
Summary
Kidney disease, including glomerulonephritis, is an important cause of ill-health in Australia. Some forms of kidney inflammation are linked to infection, but we don�t understand why. This project explores products from bacteria, particularly S.aureus, to work out how bacterial infection affects a form of kidney inflammation - ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis. It will establish how infection related signals activate local and immune cells, and define links between infection and the disease.
UTILITY OF NOVEL BIOMARKERS IN THE PREDICTION OF MAJOR COMPLICATIONS OF TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$510,639.00
Summary
Diabetes is increasingly common. It can cause a variety of complications, the most serious being heart and kidney disease. The reasons why some patients develop such complications are not fully understood so it is difficult to predict who will be affected. The current project will use samples from a large international study of patients with diabetes to assess whether levels of specific markers in the blood help to predict major complications and clarify why they occur.