Development And Refinement Of Neural Connections In The Adult Brain In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$8,061,596.00
Summary
Our group will use innovative approaches such as advanced imaging and cell-sorting and development of animal models to determine how new neurons are generated, how they travel to different parts of the brain and how they integrate into the existing brain circuitry. These discoveries will point to new ways in which to treat brain damage both during ageing and during pathology. Since team members have previously been involved in progressing molecular discovery to clinical trials, we are also in a ....Our group will use innovative approaches such as advanced imaging and cell-sorting and development of animal models to determine how new neurons are generated, how they travel to different parts of the brain and how they integrate into the existing brain circuitry. These discoveries will point to new ways in which to treat brain damage both during ageing and during pathology. Since team members have previously been involved in progressing molecular discovery to clinical trials, we are also in a good position to exploit these discoveries in partnership with the biopharmaceutical industry.Read moreRead less
Regulation Of Neural Cell Production In The Normal And Diseased Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$6,888,658.00
Summary
Members of this team are at the forefront of research into the molecular control of nerve cell production and function in the developing and adult brain. They were responsible, often through collaboration, for many of the major discoveries demonstrating that stem cells in the brain of adult animals can generate new nerve cells; this revolutionised our concept of the brain and opened-up the possibility of therapeutic repair of neural damage through stimulation of a patient?s own stem cells. Disco ....Members of this team are at the forefront of research into the molecular control of nerve cell production and function in the developing and adult brain. They were responsible, often through collaboration, for many of the major discoveries demonstrating that stem cells in the brain of adult animals can generate new nerve cells; this revolutionised our concept of the brain and opened-up the possibility of therapeutic repair of neural damage through stimulation of a patient?s own stem cells. Discovering the molecular mechanisms controlling this process is the goal of the present program. In order to achieve this aim we have formed a team on the basis of considerable past success, as well as future requirements. The team members have the complementary skills to assess all aspects of the problem, including crucial functional and clinical expertise. By combining resources we will position ourselves at the very forefront of the international competition to discover and to evaluate clinically the molecular mechanisms underlying neural repair and regeneration. This is of enormous significance in determining how we best treat stroke, injury and other neurodegenerative diseases in the next 10 years, and will lead to the development of new therapeutics of immense value. The team will use innovative approaches such as cell-sorting to obtain pure populations of stem cells and their progeny in order to identify new therapeutic targets; these will then be validated in animal models of neurological disease. Since team members have previously been involved in progressing molecular discovery to clinical trials, we are also in a good position to exploit these discoveries in partnership with the biopharmaceutical industry.Read moreRead less
IMPROVING STROKE OUTCOMES: NEW TARGETS AND THERAPIES
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$7,212,064.00
Summary
Previously we established a unique collaboration of researchers from the basic and clinical sciences.. The main aim of this ' vertically integrated ' model was to develop new therapies to improve stroke outcomes. We developed a system to identify ' off-the-shelf ' compounds which protect the brain after stroke onset. This involves data assimilation (meta-analysis) in a unique way, an approach which has attracted attention internationally. We are also completing an important clinical trial using ....Previously we established a unique collaboration of researchers from the basic and clinical sciences.. The main aim of this ' vertically integrated ' model was to develop new therapies to improve stroke outcomes. We developed a system to identify ' off-the-shelf ' compounds which protect the brain after stroke onset. This involves data assimilation (meta-analysis) in a unique way, an approach which has attracted attention internationally. We are also completing an important clinical trial using the clot dissolving agent tPA to extend the time during which the drug may be effective beyond the three-hours currently used. In the next phase of our program we plan to expand the basic science component to identify parts of brain cells (axons and dendrites) which may yield important information about new drugs to protect the brain. We will use our novel summary data technique to test drugs in animal models more appropriate to the human stroke paradigm than have been used in the past In clinical studies we will follow our theme of identifying new targets for therapy using sophisticated PET and MRI imaging techniques, both in patients who are at great risk of stroke recurrence after a minor warning stroke and those with stroke caused by bleeding within the brain. These studies will provide information about predictors of recurrent and worsening stroke which may be modified by new therapies. The final stage in identifying new therapies is the Phase III clinical trial. We will complete one of these in which the most appropriate drug preventing further strokes in a major new stroke subtype will be identified. Toward the end of the program, we will commence phase 3 studies of drugs we have selected as being most likely to protect the brain based on our animal experiments. The main benefit of this unique collaborative research model is to efficiently identify new therapies to reduce the burden of stroke, currently the second most common cause of death globally.Read moreRead less