Understanding The Role Of Sugar Metabolism In Liver Tumour Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$631,979.00
Summary
Primary liver cancer is a deadly disease with limited chemotherapeutic options. The investigators of this proposal have recently determined that sugar intake (but not fat or complex carbohydrate) is a dominant driver of liver tumour growth in mice. The current proposal will investigate the specific contributions of glucose versus fructose in tumour burden, and determine whether blocking the conversion of sugars to fat in the liver represents a therapeutic strategy to block tumour growth in mice.
Blocking IL-6 Trans-signaling: A Therapeutic Strategy To Prevent Metabolic Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$540,636.00
Summary
It is well known that blocking the recruitment of specific immune cells namely macrophages to adipose tissue of obese patients will improve their metabolic health. However, to date, a viable drug to do this has remained elusive. We have developed such a drug called sgp130Fc. This project will test the effectiveness of this drug in a pre-clinical setting.
An Integrated Approach To Identify The Molecular Mechanisms Contributing To The Pathogenesis Of Insulin Resistance: Targeting The Liver And Skeletal Muscle
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,218.00
Summary
The inability of muscle and liver to utilise sugar from the blood is a major problem that contributes to the development of obesity and diabetes. How these problems occur is unknown. The goal of my research is to identify what causes the muscle and liver problem, and whether fixing these problems will reduce obesity and diabetes. Since the number of people with obesity and diabetes is predicted to double over the next decade, we need to understand the cause of these diseases.