Dysferlin Coordinates Membrane Repair For Skeletal And Cardiac Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,270.00
Summary
Muscles are damaged all of the time, as we stretch and contract them, but we don't fully understand how they repair themselves. We are studying the molecular steps taken by a muscle cell to repair membrane damage. Our research will provide valuable insights into how to treat muscular dystrophy and other conditions characterised by membrane damage to cells, such as heart attack and stroke.
The Molecular Mechanism Of Ion-coupled Transport In The Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$441,407.00
Summary
Cells in the brain communicate through chemical signals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitter transporters reside in the membranes of cells and are responsible for regulating levels of these chemicals in the brain. They play an important role in the normal function of the human brain but their dysfunction is responsible for many diseases including Alzheimer's disease and motor neuron disease. It is crucial to understand how these proteins work in both normal and disease states.
Peripheral Membrane Proteins In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,151.00
Summary
Peripheral membrane proteins are critical for processes such as cell transport, signaling, neurosecretion and development. As such, their dysfunction can lead to many debilitating diseases including cancer, inflammation and neurodegeneration. This project will establish fundamental new knowledge about how peripheral membrane proteins regulate cell function, how their perturbation or mutation results in human disease, and will inform efforts to target them for future therapeutic outcomes.
A Targeted Nutrient-depletion Approach To Tackle Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,388.00
Summary
Prostate cancer is the most prevalent male specific cancer, and has a similar incidence to breast cancer in women. We are studying the role of protein pumps that control the amount of nutrients taken into and out of cancer cells. We are aiming to structurally determine LAT1 and LAT3, two nutrient pumps important for cancer progression, and to use these structures as a platform for drug design where the intention is to drugs 'starve’ the cancer by restricting nutrient uptake.
Understanding Natural Killer Cell Development And Target Recognition
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,388.00
Summary
Immune detection and eradication or control of cancer and cancer immunotherapies are based in part on the idea that tumour-specific white blood cells can protect the body from tumour development, growth and metastases. While strong evidence supports this, the means by which these white cells first recognize the cancerous tissue is largely unknown. We will study a new family of white blood cell receptors that may be important in this recognition, either naturally or following therapy.
Systems Approaches To Understanding Mitochondrial Function And Dysfunction In Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
Mitochondria produce the energy for our bodies. Defects in this process cause mitochondrial disease, which affects at least 1/4300 people. Diagnosis is often inconclusive and few if any effective treatments exist. State of the art CRISPR gene-editing tools will be used to make disease models mimicking the different types of mitochondrial disease. These will be used to understand how mitochondria function, identify new disease genes and develop new drugs.