A Wireless Electric Nerve-guide For Peripheral Nerve Repair
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$805,064.00
Summary
We aim to deliver a radical new precision intervention for peripheral nerve repair to improve the lives of people with peripheral nerve damage. Drawing from our recently awarded work on 'electric neural tissue engineering', we will pre-clinically test our invention of a unique clinically-amenable electric nerve-guide (e-nerve-guide), designed to act as a protective nerve conduit and wirelessly electrically-stimulate damaged nerves for their regeneration and restoration of function.
Next Generation Cybernetics: Long Term Carbon Fibre Dual Stimulation / Recording Electrode Arrays For Closed Loop Neural Implants
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$679,670.00
Summary
Electrodes implanted in the brain have enormous potential for treating a range of conditions from epilepsy to control of prosthetics for patients with limb loss. Currently, the electrodes used in such system fail rapidly because they are rejected by the body. We aim to use diamond with ultra-fine carbon fibre electrodes to make arrays that are invisible to the human immune system. Such arrays will function for the lifetime of the patient without needing replacement.
The Use Of Soluble Antagonists Of EphA4 In Spinal Cord Injuries
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$622,361.00
Summary
Permanent and limited recovery of function following spinal cord injury is a direct result of the lack of nerve regrowth through the injury. Our preliminary data suggest that antagonising the effects of EphA4, a protein involved in brain development, leads to substantial functional recovery simultaneous with nerve regrowth. In addition to designing new, more effective blockers of EphA4, we will study the signalling pathways that EphA4 activates to inhibit nerve regrowth.
Axonal Regeneration And Degeneration: Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$622,655.00
Summary
Understanding how to repair of nerve damage following a traumatic injury, a vascular accident, or a degenerative condition, is essential to develop novel effective treatments. We have identified, in a simple genetic model system, the molecular mechanisms that allow a transected nerve to be repaired by reattachment of its two separated fragments. This 'axonal fusion' process is a highly promising innovative approach that can be exploited to restore the original neuronal circuit.
Nerve growth factors are essential to promote nerve regeneration and are potential drugs for the treatment of nervous disorders such as spinal cord injury. Our recent result demonstrates that the precursor form of the nerve growth factor brain derived neurotrophic factor (proBDNF) is detrimental to an injured nervous system and can cause nerve degeneration. This project further investigates the phenomenon in order to promote treatment of spinal cord injury.
Membrane Fusion In Axonal Regeneration: Molecules And Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$461,597.00
Summary
Limited nerve regeneration is the main obstacle for recovery from spinal cord and brain injuries. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying axonal regeneration is an essential step toward the development of novel effective therapies to enhance this process. In this proposal, we use the powerful molecular and genetic tools available for the small nematode worm C. elegans to identify and study axonal regeneration and discover the key molecules involved.
Multimodal Woven BioPolymer Fibre Conduits For Remodelling Damaged Peripheral Nerve
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$686,901.00
Summary
Damage to peripheral nerve arises as a result of trauma or disease ranging in severity from mild to severe incapacitation. Currently surgeons remove healthy nerve from individuals with nerve damage to repair more important priority nerves. We aim to create an effective implant for nerve repair that totally degrades leaving behind the regenerated nerve. This will eliminate the need for nerve harvesting as well as restoring lost nerve function in individuals with nerve injury.