Alpha-2-Macroglobulin And The Transport And Uptake Of The Hormone, Hepcidin
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$533,541.00
Summary
Hepcidin is a peptide hormone that is a major regulator of iron metabolism. It has been suggested that hepcidin is free in the blood. However, we recently identified that hepcidin binds with alpha-2-macroglobulin (a2-M) in the plasma and this increases the efficacy of this peptide. The demonstration that a2-M plays a role in hepcidin biology will lead to a better understanding of hepcidin physiology, the development of methods for its measurement and improved treatment of iron related diseases.
Viral Targeting Of STAT Proteins: Roles In Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$536,985.00
Summary
The capacity of viruses to evade the host immune response is critical to the development of disease. We recently showed that interaction of specific viral proteins with host immune proteins called STATs is vital to lethal disease caused by lyssaviruses. In this project, we aim to define in detail the functions of these interactions in viral modification of host biology and evasion of the immune response, and to use this information to develop new vaccines against highly pathogenic human viruses.
Understanding Neuroinflammation In Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,043,216.00
Summary
This project opens a new line of enquiry into the cellular signalling mechanisms involved in the progression of AD and establishes whether targeting the involvement of type-1 IFN signalling influences the evolution of AD. New and novel approaches are clearly required to treat AD. Importantly, we believe that neuroinflammation is common to all causes of dementia and targeting the neuroinflammatory pathways has much wider implications than targeting the primary causative pathway.
Controlling Neuroinflammation In Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, with 269,000 Australians currently diagnosed with AD and is expected to soar to about 981,000 by 2050. AD accounts for greater than 60% of all cases of dementia. This grant investigates the role that neuroinflammation plays in the progression and exacerbation of AD and will identify new therapeutic strategies to combat this insidious disease.
Interleukin 38: Uncoupling Innate Inflammation From Interferons In Lupus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,048,669.00
Summary
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an incurable autoimmune disease that affects 5 million patients worldwide, mostly young women. Grave multi-organ inflammation and substantial loss of life expectancy render SLE a critical unmet medical need. We found that the immune system protein interleukin 38 disables several signalling pathways essential for SLE progress. We will explore regulation and function of this protein in cells from healthy people and SLE patients and in models of the disease.
Anti-viral Immunity In Asthma: A Detailed Assessment Of TLR7 Function And The Regulation Of Interferon ?/? Synthesis.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$517,156.00
Summary
Many people with asthma are unusually vulnerable to viral infections. This study will carefully examine different components of immune function in people with asthma, including the receptors that respond to viral nucleic acids and the reasons why people with asthma do not produce normal quantities of anti-viral interferons. This research may lead to novel methods for prevention and treatment of virus infections in people with asthma.
Despite recent advances in therapeutic options, chronic viral infections, including infection with hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus, continue to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia and affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. This R&D program aims to develop a cheaper drug formulation that is easier to deliver and more stable for transport to remote areas.
Mechanisms Underlying The Effects Of TNFalpha In Bone And Haemopoiesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,425.00
Summary
Recent studies have identified that bone plays an important role in blood cell production. We have discovered that elevated levels of TNF alpha (which increases with ageing and can negatively impact on health) contributes to a blood cell disorder that can progress to leukaemia. There are also reduced numbers of blood stem cells and bone in this mouse model. In these studies we will determine how TNFalpha contributes to blood and bone defects, which may lead to better treatment of such diseases.
Investigating Type I Interferon-mediated Immune-suppression During Plasmodium Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,617.00
Summary
Some infections tend to afflict us only once in our lifetimes, for example chickenpox. This is because our bodies develop immunity to these infections relatively easily. The same is not true for malaria. It is thought that our immune systems are somehow suppressed during this disease. This project aims to understand how the immune system is suppressed during malaria infection, in order that we can block this process, and help our bodies fight this disease more effectively.