Headache Prophylaxis By Cortico-brainstem Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$616,437.00
Summary
In this project we hope to discover the cause of migraine headache. Many triggers lead to migraine, but we do not know how. We believe the triggers produce a defect in pain control by the brainstem, which normally keeps sensation from the head below the pain threshold. In migraine, trigger factors acting high in the brain open a pain control gate lower in the brain, producing a migraine headache. If we can prove this, we can develop therapies that will prevent migraine before it starts.
The Role Of Purines In Photoreceptor Death During Retinal Degeneration.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$458,729.00
Summary
Abnormalities in cells at the back of the eye called photoreceptors are associated with at least 50% of all cases of blindness in this country.This project will determine whether substances released from dying photoreceptors cause the death of neighbouring cells. In addition we will examine whether treatments that block the actions of these released substances can prevent the death of photoreceptors, thereby providing a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of devastating eye diseases.