Preventing Stroke From Arteriovenous Malformations Using Precision Thrombosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$993,866.00
Summary
Brain arteriovenous malformations are rupture-prone blood vessels that cause stroke in children and young adults. One third of patients have no current treatment options. We aim to develop new medicines that cause blockage of the abnormal vessels, thus preventing them from bleeding and causing stroke. Focused radiation is used to produce molecular changes in the abnormal vessels; these molecules are then the target for the new medicines. We will develop several new drugs for clinical testing.
Targeting Neurovascular Communication As A Novel Way Of Reducing Vision Loss In Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$986,663.00
Summary
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness. Here, we evaluate whether diabetes causes changes in the way neurons signal to blood vessels, and whether blocking some of the signals from neurons reduces blood vessel abormalities. Overall, this information is critical to our understanding of the early changes that occur during diabetes and whether novel treatments used early in diabetes can prevent long term changes and vision loss.
Epigenetic Reprogramming Of Calcified Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells As A Treatment For Vascular Calcification
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,285,195.00
Summary
Pathological hardening of blood vessels, or vascular calcification, is a frequent and deadly complication of many cardiovascular disorders. It is caused by the irreversible change in mature vascular smooth muscle cells (the main cell type in the blood vessel walls) to a bone-forming cell type. We have now identified a new gene that can potentially revert calcified vascular cells back to their physiological state. This represents a promising new approach for treatment of vascular calcification.
Influenza A Viral Infection And Pregnancy Complications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,346,858.00
Summary
Pregnant women who contract influenza are 5 times more likely to be hospitalised than the general population. Babies of mothers with influenza are also associated with increased perinatal mortality rates. We hypothesise that influenza infection in pregnancy significantly impairs the maternal vascular system resulting in maternal and foetal morbidity. Outcomes from this research may change current treatment modalities to improve maternal and foetal outcomes complicated by influenza infection.
Characterising The Function Of Niche-derived Neuregulin 1 In Colorectal Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$994,246.00
Summary
Colorectal cancer affects thousands of Australians each year. A specialised cell population, named cancer stem cells, continuously produces new tumour cells. Defining mechanisms controlling the behaviour of these unique cells is critical to develop new drugs. We have identified that Neuregulin-1 is a key factor that enhances the action of cancer stem cells. We aim to study how colorectal cancer is mediated and whether targeting Neuregulin-1 is a promising therapeutic option.
Molecular Regulators Of Adaptive Immunity To Overwhelming Viral Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$786,898.00
Summary
Diseases caused by overwhelming viral infections, such as COVID-19, are associated with widespread impairments in immunity and constitute a major burden to human health. We have discovered that the molecule c-Myb is essential for the maintenance of immunity during chronic infection. In order to lay the foundations for novel and innovative anti-viral therapies, this project will dissect the molecular pathways regulated by c-Myb that maintain immunity during severe or chronic infection.
Are Oligodendrocytes The Missing Link In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathogenesis?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,054,405.00
Summary
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating and progressive neurodegenerative disease. Recent research suggests important cells of the central nervous system called glia play a role in disease onset and progression. We are interested in a type of glia called oligodendrocytes; they are crucial for supporting the survival of the cells that die in ALS. Only through understanding the underlying biology of ALS can we aim to identify effective therapies that will benefit patients.
Bring Out Your Dead - How Does Defective Apoptotic Cell Clearance By Tingible Body Macrophages Lead To The Activation Of Self-reactive B Cells In SLE?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$721,597.00
Summary
Good housekeeping is critical to the day-to-day running of the immune system. In the case of the germinal centre, a key structure where plasma cells are generated, the ability to clear away dead and dying cells is critical because failure to do so can lead to the spillover of cellular waste and debris into the follicle where they can activate harmful B cells to make autoantibodies and cause disease. Understanding how this happens can lead to new ways to target and treat autoimmune diseases.
Defining A New Player In Atherosclerosis: The Role Of Adventitial Haemangioblasts As An Outside-in Driver Of Plaque Growth And Stability.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$728,005.00
Summary
As the underlying cause of heart attack, atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death worldwide. New approaches to treatment are desperately needed and this requires a better understanding of how atherosclerotic plaques form in arteries. This project studies a new population of stem cells that we have discovered in the outer layer of arteries, to determine how they cause plaques to form, so that we can develop new therapies that target these stem cells to more effectively treat atherosclerosis.
We are studying human amnion epithelial cells (AECs) as a new therapy for stroke. Here if we find the protective effects of AECs are unaffected by a 'clot-buster' drug,we will broaden our planned Phase II trial of AECs to include patients that have received clot lysis therapy. Further, as we suspect that AECs exert their effects via release of nanoparticles called 'exosomes', we will test whether exosomes given intravenously or intranasally are similarly protective.