Mast cells (MC) are key regulators of chronic skin inflammation, such as atopic eczema, and can also give rise to a group of diseases called mastocytosis. How MC numbers are regulated in these conditions is poorly understood. We have identified a novel circulating precursor cell that gives rise to MC. We will determine the function of these precursors in skin diseases, including eczema and mastocytosis, with the aim to curtail the course of of these difficult-to-treat conditions.
Regulation Of Skin Inflammation By Mechanosensor YAP
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$612,566.00
Summary
Atopic diseases are a significant public health burden in the developed world. The economic cost of care and reduced quality of life for asthmatics necessitates that greater action and resources be directed toward the treatment and prevention of the atopic march. This project aims to identify molecular regulators of this disease process which may identify novel targets for therapy and early intervention.
Regulation Of Pulmonary Immune Responses To Subunit Vaccines Against Tuberculosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$509,202.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) remains an enormous health problem world-wide. Improving the effectiveness of anti-TB vaccines is essential for its control. The first approach to improving subunit TB vaccines will be to manipulate the cellular immune response to the vaccine by increasing the positive cytokine signals, or reducing inhibitory effects on the immune response. The second approach is to develop new subunit vaccines to deliver to the lung in order to increase the potency of the protective response.
COMPARATIVE ANTI-BACTERIAL IMMUNITY IN THE URINARY TRACT: DOES ONE SIZE FIT ALL?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,781.00
Summary
Urinary tract infections (UTI), which start as a bladder infection and often evolve to encompass the kidneys, are among the most common infectious diseases of humans. It is estimated that 40 to 50% of adult healthy women have experienced at least one UTI episode in their lifetime. Bacteria cause most UTI and this study will focus on how these bacteria survive in the urinary tract and will provide key insight into the ways in which human immune responses develop to counteract these bacteria.
Chronic Bacterial Infection And The Generation Of T Cell Memory: Implication For Vaccination Against Tuberculosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,970.00
Summary
Two million people die from tuberculosis (TB) each year. The immune system is unable to eradicate the TB bacterium, and the type of immune response needed to protect against the disease is poorly understood. We will use animal models of TB infection and sophisticated immunological techniques to decipher how the TB bacterium interacts with the immune sytem and causes disease. We will also develop new TB vaccines that aim to boost the immune response in the lung, the main site of TB infection.
Pathogenomics: New Ways To Exploit Genome Sequence Data From Pathogenic Bacteria.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,372.00
Summary
Bacterial pathogens are locked in an evolutionary battle of survival with their eukaryote hosts. The rapidly evolving genes of medically-important pathogens are generally those required for adaptation to the human host. This project aims to exploit the abundance of available bacterial genome sequences to predict rapid evolution in bacterial pathogens using computational methods. The protein products of such genes offer novel targets for therapeutic intervention.
Regulatory Roles Of Mast Cells In Cutaneous Dermatitis In Vivo
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$586,965.00
Summary
Allergic conditions that can affect the skin, such as contact dermatitis or eczema are common amongst Australians. Although not life threatening, these common skin conditions can cause considerable physical diability and be expensive to treat. The major focus of our research is to define how dermal mast cells can be modulated to help limit the tissue changes and damage associated with these skin conditions, and ultimately develop improved treatments in the future.
Structural And Functional Studies On Leptospiral Antigens Central To Pathogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$287,321.00
Summary
Leptospirosis, also known as Weil's disease and canefield fever, is a potentially fatal disease caused by infection with the bacteria Leptospira. Leptospira is able to infect a broad range of animals including livestock and humans. Human infection typically occurs through contact with water or vegetation that has been exposed to the urine of an infected animal. This project focuses on a key step in the bacterial infection in trying to understand how these bacteria adhere to human cells.
Real-Time Molecular Typing Systems In Infection Control: Design And Effectiveness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$82,554.00
Summary
MRSA is a major cause of hospital-acquired infection. Molecular typing identifies how a patient managed to contract MRSA in the hospital, and if the strain they have is particularly dangerous. This study will develop a rapid typing protocol then implement it routinely, to determine whether providing this information to infection control staff in a more timely fashion will lead to reduced MRSA infections in hospitals.