GABA(B) Receptor Modulation Of Gastrointestinal Function In Health And Disease By Alpha-Conotoxins
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$689,050.00
Summary
Chronic visceral pain is a common and debilitating condition arising from numerous diseases that affect our internal organs. There is a desperate need for more information about the mechanisms responsible for signalling chronic visceral pain to provide therapies and potentially find a cure for it. Our research focuses on ?-conotoxins (small peptides from marine cone snail venom) as novel potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic visceral pain.
Metabolic Stress Sensing By AMPK: Implications For Energy Balance And Isoform-targetting Therapeutics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$632,188.00
Summary
Metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease impose enormous medical and economic burdens on Western societies. Our research is focussed on the enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which acts as the fuel gauge of the cell and is a promising drug target for combating metabolic diseases. Our discoveries provide critical insight on how AMPK is switched on by both energy demand and drugs, and will greatly assist development of AMPK-targetted therapeutics.
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.
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.
Directed Molecular Evolution Of G Protein-coupled Receptors For Stable And Functional Expression In Escherichia Coli
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$383,479.00
Summary
Approximately half of all prescription drugs on the market act on G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). The mechanisms underlying GPCR function are mainly unknown due to a lack of structural information. No solved structures exist for any of the estimated 800 human GPCRs, making it difficult to design new drugs. By applying advanced protein engineering techniques I aim to produce human GPCRs in bacteria to ultimately acquire structural information, which will enable novel drug development.
The Fetal And Early Childhood Origins Of PCOS: A Prospective Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$499,116.00
Summary
The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age, which translates into around 350,000 women in Australia. It is the most common hormonal disorder in women. The syndrome has far-reaching adverse implications for general and reproductive health, including menstrual disorder, obesity, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, increased risk of diabetes and possibly heart disease. PCOS also commonly causes cosmetic problems such as excess body hair and ac ....The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age, which translates into around 350,000 women in Australia. It is the most common hormonal disorder in women. The syndrome has far-reaching adverse implications for general and reproductive health, including menstrual disorder, obesity, infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, increased risk of diabetes and possibly heart disease. PCOS also commonly causes cosmetic problems such as excess body hair and acne. The underlying causes of PCOS are not known but are thought to arise during intrauterine (fetal) life and to be modified by aspects of childhood health, particularly overweight and obesity. Using a large and well established cohort of adolescents followed up since fetal life and throughout childhood and currently aged 13-15 years old (the Raine cohort), we will define for the first time the intrauterine and early childhood correlates of PCOS. PCOS will be diagnosed by a specialist gynacologist using current international criteria. We will then utilise extensive existing data from this cohort combined with new measurements on existing samples to determine the contribution of key factors including fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, fetal androgen exposure, rapid postnatal growth, childhood adiposity, elevated fasting glucose and insulin and age at menarche to PCOS. In this way, we will address for the first time the hypothesis that PCOS arises as a result of events during fetal life and is affected by factors during childhood. The results from these studies will improve our understanding of PCOS and eventually improve reproductive and metabolic health for a substantial population of women internationally. It is essential that these studies are conducted as soon as possible or the opportunity will be missed. Girls with persistent menstrual irregularity are likely to be commenced on hormonal treatments which will make the diagnosis of PCOS impossible.Read moreRead less
Assembly And Function Of Two Interacting Oncogenic Scaffolds
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$705,585.00
Summary
Aberrant signaling by the protein kinase superfamily is a known driving force for many cancers and inflammatory diseases. Recently, a subset of kinase-like proteins, termed pseudokinases, have emerged as crucial regulators of kinase signalling pathways. This proposal focuses on elucidating the scaffolding function and assembly of two pseudokinases, termed SgK223 and SgK269, which display oncogenic properties and aims to understand how their signalling abilities are subverted in a disease state.
Design And Engineering Of Adnectins For Diagnosis And Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$803,152.00
Summary
This project aims to engineer a naturally-occurring human protein, called an adnectin, to produce molecules that are able to bind specific targets in the human body, and as such may be used in the diagnosis and therapy of a range of diseases.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is the most common form of dementia, accounting for between 50-70% of all cases. There is general agreement that current treatments for AD/dementia are inadequate so new treatment strategies are desperately needed. I am addressing these challenges by developing new technologies to generate next generation treatments for AD.