Engineered Cell And Exosome Therapy For Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$838,490.00
Summary
Diseases affecting the blood vessels in the lungs cause early death and the currently available treatments are not curative. We will take advantage of the latest developments in the understanding of the molecular basis of these diseases to design and test a new treatment approach using cells and cell-derived products as a therapy.
The Role Of Clathrin In The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint And As An Anti-cancer Target
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$651,768.00
Summary
Cell division produces two daughter cells. Incorrect localisation and modification of proteins that regulate mitosis cause errors that can lead to cancer. As well as using a unique machinery mitosis uses proteins involved in non-cell cycle pathways. This project investigates the role during mitosis of one such protein: clathrin. We will identify lead clathrin inhibitory compounds, pitstops, that have potential anti-cancer properties, ultimately to be used as a chemotherapy agent.
Killing Infected Cells As A Mechanism To Eradicate Tuberculosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,085,770.00
Summary
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of TB, is rapidly becoming resistant to all antibiotics and this disease kills more than one million people each year. This underscores the urgent need to develop new treatments for this disease. We are developing a therapy that kills Mtb infected cells and may help to eradicate infection. This highly novel approach to the treatment of TB would have profound implications for the 2 billion people infected with this pathogen.
Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Of Hedgehog Signaling In Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,937.00
Summary
Breast cancer cells create the conditions for their own survival by communicating their needs to the healthy cells that surround them. We have previously shown that a molecule known as ‘hedgehog’ transmits biochemical signals between breast cancer cells and healthy cells. When hedgehog is ‘silenced’, tumours shrink and stop their spread. In this application, we will identify the cells receiving the hedgehog signal and identify how they support the growth and spread of breast cancers.
Multipotent Stem Cells Derived From Postimplantation Mouse Embryos: Evaluation Of Germ Layer Differentiation Potential
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$788,818.00
Summary
This study of the properties of cells that can differentiate into specific lineages provides useful insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms for the specification of these progenitors from the pluripotent stem cells. The procurement of tissue-specific precursor cells that are capable of self-renewing and population expansion is a critical pre-requisite for achieving directed differentiation of stem cells into therapeutically useful cells for tissue replacement and regeneration.
Therapeutic Potential Of Peritoneal Mononuclear Phagocytes From Peritoneal Dialysis Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,817.00
Summary
Mononuclear phagocytes (MP) are key cells which are now being used to treat various diseases. In Australia, more than 10 million end stage kidney disease(ESKD) patients are treated with chronic dialysis, and more than 20% of them are on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Each PD patient discards more than 20 million MP in dialysate daily. We will explore the possibility of using these MP to treat diseases including transplant rejection.
(Re)wiring A Stem Cell: Deciphering The Molecular Mechanism Underpinning Lineage Propensity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$855,780.00
Summary
This project explores the response of the stem cells to cues that direct how they turn into specific type of cells that is suitable for clinical use. Specifically, a set of driver genes whose activity can foretell the outcome of cell differentiation will be identified. By modulating the maintenance conditions, iPSCs lines may be tailored for specific applications in stem cell therapy and disease modelling for the assessment of treatment efficacy.
Cellular Therapy For Genetic Liver Disease Exploiting Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells And Liver Progenitor Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$797,185.00
Summary
It has recently become possible to genetically reprogram mature cell types in the body to become stem cells and then redirect them to become any other cell type desired. This technology has immense, but as yet unrealised, diagnostic and therapeutic potential. In this project we seek to develop cellular therapies for metabolic liver disease. Specifically, we plan to generate liver cells from skin cells and to test the therapeutic effectiveness of these cells by curing liver disease in mice.
Osteochondroreticular Stem Cell Therapy For Osteoarthritis: The Right Cells For The Job.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,956.00
Summary
"Wear and tear" arthritis of the knee, hip and back joints is known as osteoarthritis. This causes significant health burden and costs in our community, particularly in older Australians. Osteoarthritis begins with the loss of joint cartilage. We believe that a new type of stem cells (OCR stem cells) offer the greatest promise to generate and thus therapeutically replace joint cartilage. Our studies test this hypothesis and develop preclinical translation of our discoveries in mice into humans.
Using Direct Reprogramming To Generate And Rejuvenate Haematopoietic Stem Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,026,313.00
Summary
One of the greatest promises of regenerative medicine lies in our ability to reprogram any cell type of the body into any other cell type. Transdifferentiation is the conversion of one adult cell type to another and it is believed to be the next frontier in regenerative medicine therapies since it can be used in vivo for the direct conversion of one cell type into another. The outcomes of this grant will push the limits of these technologies to generate new regenerative medicine strategies.