MIGRATORY CHARACTERISTICS OF SKIN-DERIVED NEURAL PRECURSORS AS A NOVEL REGENERATIVE THERAPY FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$46,945.00
Summary
Memory decline in Alzheimer's disease is linked to a massive loss of neurons and the connections between these cells. Stem cell therapy has the potential to combat this neuronal loss by replenishing the brain with healthy functional neurons. This study aims to develop a new type of neural stem-like cell, termed skin-derived neural precursors, which can be isolated from a patient’s own skin. The outcomes from this work will provide the necessary data for progress into human clinical trial.
Growth factors are essential molecules for normal brain development. Variations in the amount of the different growth factors have been implicated in such diseases as AlzheimerÍs and ParkinsonÍs disease. This project will study the precursor of a growth factor known as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and what specific roles the precursor might play in brain development.
Application Of New Chemistry Approaches For Antimalarial Drug Discovery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$74,263.00
Summary
Malaria kills approximately one million people annually. Currently there no vaccine and many of the available drugs are becoming less effective due the resistance of this highly adaptable parasite. My aim is to develop new chemical classes of drugs that inhibit different targets in the malaria parasite to the currently available drugs. In addition to this I aim to improve the present systems for assessing antimalarial drug effects using new chemical approaches and live parasite assays.
Livelihoods Of Indigenous People Displaced From Remote Communities To Urban Centres For Dialysis Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$86,117.00
Summary
Kidney disease has a profound impact on Indigenous Australians due to outcomes of the disease itself and consequences of treatment. Indigenous people displaced from remote areas to urban centres for dialysis for kidney disease and their families are likely to have few assets or opportunities to generate livelihoods. This study combines public health and livelihoods-based approaches to understand the livelihoods of displaced people and analyse the policy and health and community service context.
Appendicitis, Protection Again Colitis And The Role Of Colonic Regulatory T Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$67,381.00
Summary
The appendix has been regarded as a useless organ, however, there are evidence showing its removal reduces the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease. We have shown that this may be due to altered intestinal immune regulation. The project plans to explore the mechanisms responsible for this altered immune regulation. With knowledge of specific elements of disease causation gained from these studies, more effective and targeted treatment options will become available.
Development Of A Cultured Tissue Substitute To Repair The Ageing Retina
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$63,267.00
Summary
The ultimate goal of my research is to develop an effective, affordable and accessible treatment for patients afflicted with age related macular degeneration (AMD). The novelty of my study is that I will use a protein extracted from silk as a form of scaffold on which to grow new retinal tissue, with the view to replacing the damaged tissue that eventually leads to permanent loss of sight in AMD patients.
Investigating The Role Of TGF-beta In Resident Memory T Cell Induction And Maintenance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,495.00
Summary
I am a research scientist interested in the immune system. Specifically, I intend to investigate immunological memory, which is the basis of vaccination. This refers to the ability of certain immune cells such as T and B cells to ‘remember’ a pathogen, so that a rapid and enhanced response can be generated upon re-infection with the same pathogen. This can be investigated by experimental techniques such as flow cytometry, histology and confocal microscopy on cells from infected mouse tissue.
The Mechanisms Of SIV Entry Of Follicular Helper T Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$95,313.00
Summary
Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells are a type of immune cells essential in antibody production. Preliminary data shows that SIV infects macaque Tfh cells. In this project, we will investigate the mechanisms by which SIV enters into Tfh cells, and test the susceptibility of human Tfh cells to HIV-1 infection ex vivo. This project will enable understanding of the fate of Tfh in HIV infection and its role in HIV host defense and it may facilitate the design of vaccine against HIV.
The Adaptive Immune Response To Epstein-Barr Virus.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$92,314.00
Summary
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the causative agent of glandular fever, is carried by a large proportion of adults worldwide. EBV is known to cause many cancers including Burkitt's lymphoma and has been linked to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The aim of this project is to find new fragments of EBV that the body's immune system can recognise and use to protect itself against the virus. Once found these pieces will form parts of the puzzle that will one day combine as a vaccine against ....Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the causative agent of glandular fever, is carried by a large proportion of adults worldwide. EBV is known to cause many cancers including Burkitt's lymphoma and has been linked to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The aim of this project is to find new fragments of EBV that the body's immune system can recognise and use to protect itself against the virus. Once found these pieces will form parts of the puzzle that will one day combine as a vaccine against EBV.Read moreRead less