Development Of Monoclonal Antibody Therapy For Treating Wounds
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$573,354.00
Summary
Chronic wounds, diabetic ulcers, injuries in response to trauma, burns and scalds form a medical need which will only expand as the population ages and the diabetic epidemic grows. In our studies, we have shown that Flightless I (Flii), an actin-remodelling protein, is a negative regulator of wound healing. We are developing monoclonal antibodies as a new therapy for reducing Flii levels in wounds which leads to improved wound repair outcomes.
Development Of Flightless Antibody Therapy For Treating Wounds
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$194,071.00
Summary
Chronic wounds, diabetic ulcers, injuries in response to trauma, burns and scalds form a medical need which will only expand as the population ages and the diabetic epidemic grows. In our studies, we have shown that Flightless I (FliI), an actin-remodelling protein, is a negative regulator of incisional wound healing. We are now developing a new antibody therapy to reduce FliI levels in wounds thereby leading to improved wound repair outcomes.
Pre-clinical Evaluation Of Nano-membrane Dressings To Promote Wound Healing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$188,600.00
Summary
This project will investigate whether a novel type of wound dressing can promote faster wound healing and reduce scarring. Time taken to heal is one of the best predictors of whether a wound will heal with significant scarring. The faster wounds heal the better. We have identified a new dressing with specific nano-scale pores that may promote faster healing. This dressing will be tested in the best model of human wound healing with the potential to progress to clinical trials if successful.
Activated Protein C As A Promoter Of Wound Healing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$391,650.00
Summary
The healing of wounds is a complex process involving a number of stages, including coagulation, inflammation, remodelling and finally development of full strength skin. Impaired wound healing and-or skin ulcers occur in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes, pressure sores and burns. Despite intense investigation, the precise mechanisms associated with impaired healing are poorly understood. APC is a serine protease that plays a central role in physi ....The healing of wounds is a complex process involving a number of stages, including coagulation, inflammation, remodelling and finally development of full strength skin. Impaired wound healing and-or skin ulcers occur in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes, pressure sores and burns. Despite intense investigation, the precise mechanisms associated with impaired healing are poorly understood. APC is a serine protease that plays a central role in physiological anticoagulation. APC potently activates gelatinase A, an enzyme that plays a prominent role during the remodelling phase of wound healing and angiogenesis. Our preliminary experiments provide very strong evidence that APC accelerates wound healing using both cultured cells and a rat skin wounding model. There are three aims to this study. The first will use cell culture techniques to investigate the mechanisms of action of APC during wound healing. Secondly, we will expand our pilot studies on the effect of APC as a promoter of wound healing in vivo. These studies will examine the exact dosing and timing regime for APC, using a rat wound healing model. In addition, we will test the effect of APC on slow healing wounds, present in diabetic rats. Thirdly, we will determine whether APC is quantitatively or functionally deficient in human wound fluid derived from slow-healing wounds compared to wounds that heal normally. This is the first time that APC has been implicated in wound healing. It is envisaged that this work will ultimately lead to a novel topical treatment of APC to accelerate slow-healing wounds.Read moreRead less
Development And Pre-clinical Evaluation Of A Novel Wound Dressing Treatment For Chronic Ulcers
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,040.00
Summary
Chronic leg ulcers are a common, painful and costly reality for many Australians, impacting on sufferers' mobility, social interactions and overall quality of life. This research is directed at developing a novel cost-effective wound dressing for treatment of this condition. This will be achieved through neutralising the ulcer's toxic proteolytic environment through an interactive wound dressing. This then will allow the body's own cells to promote wound healing.
Pre-clinical Assessment Of Novel Growth Factor Complexes As A Topical Agent In The Treatment Of Deep
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$156,870.00
Summary
Healing of deep burns, unlike that of superficial injuries, often resolves with scarring. Scarring is reduced with rapid closure of burns. The CIs have discovered and patented novel growth factor complexes that stimulate the growth and migration of keratinocytes, cells derived from skin. Hence these complexes hold therapeutic potential for wounds that require rapid closure such as deep burns. This application will provide pre-clinical, proof-of-principle data to facilitate future patient trials.
Recombinant Bacteria Expressing Oligosaccharide Receptor Mimics For Prevention Of Enteric Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$451,056.00
Summary
Gastrointestinal infectious diseases kill more than 3 million people each year. The principal microbial pathogens responsible for these infections are known to exploit oligosaccharides on the surface of host cells as receptors for ahesins or toxins. We have developed (and patented) a novel anti-infective strategy, based on mimicry of oligosaccharide receptors for toxins and adhesins produced by enteric pathogens on the surface of harmless carrier bacteria. Oral administration of such recombinant ....Gastrointestinal infectious diseases kill more than 3 million people each year. The principal microbial pathogens responsible for these infections are known to exploit oligosaccharides on the surface of host cells as receptors for ahesins or toxins. We have developed (and patented) a novel anti-infective strategy, based on mimicry of oligosaccharide receptors for toxins and adhesins produced by enteric pathogens on the surface of harmless carrier bacteria. Oral administration of such recombinant probiotics has the potential to prevent enteric infections by binding and neutralizing toxins in the gut lumen and by blocking adherence of the pathogen to intestinal epithelial cells. As a prototypic example, we have developed a bacterium capable of preventing the serious consequences of Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) infections; this agent binds Shiga toxin with very high efficiency and is 100% protective in animal models. The strategy has very broad applications, however, and receptors for virtually any pathogen can be mimicked by expression of appropriate glycosyl transferases in a suitable harmless host bacterium. This proposal involves extension of our existing work to develop therapeutic agents for other important life threatening diarrhoeal diseases including cholera, travellers' diarrhoea, dysentery, antibiotic-associated colitis, rotavirus, etc.Read moreRead less
Development And Evaluation Of Novel Antibacterial Coatings For The Prevention Of Infection On Biomedical Devices
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$284,402.00
Summary
This project aims to develop infection-resistant coatings that can be applied to a wide range of biomedical devices used in human health care. Novel antibacterial compounds from Australian plants (genus Eremophila) will be coated as thin layers onto model materials used for biomedical device fabrication, then onto real-life biomedical products and evaluated for ability to deter colonization by biofilm-forming human pathogenic bacteria.