Understanding How Perforin Forms Pores: The Role Of Calcium And Lipids.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$797,813.00
Summary
This grant aims to study perforin, a key part of the mammalian immune system. The work will facilitate the development of perforin inhibitors. It is anticipated that these data will be of utility in developing first in class drugs to improve the success of bone marrow transplantation.
Burkholderia Pseudomallei Disulfide-forming Proteins: Structure, Function And Inhibition
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$707,032.00
Summary
Our research will lead to a better understanding of melioidosis, a disease endemic to Northern Australia and which impacts indigenous communities at twice the rate of the rest of the population. This project will also aim to generate new compounds with the potential for development as treatments against this devastating disease.
Enhancing The Immune Response To Disordered Malaria Antigens
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$643,739.00
Summary
Half of the worlds population live at risk of malaria, and the disease kills half a million people a year, predominantly young children. Despite recent progress, a vaccine with the efficacy required to help control and ultimately eradicate malaria remains out of reach. This project studies an important class of proteins likely to form part of a future malaria vaccine, and will develop new ways to improve their effectiveness as vaccine components.
Detailed images of protein molecules underpin our understanding of biological function and our attempts to find new medicines to counter biological malfunction. Proteins belonging to the so-called Bcl-2 family determine whether a cell lives or dies and, because failure to die on cue is a hallmark of many cancers, high resolution images of these molecules will reveal new targets for cancer therapies.
Oligomers Of The Alzheimer's Amyloid-? Peptide: Structure, Mechanism Of Toxicity And Small Molecule Interactions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$356,324.00
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that currently affects 240 000 Australians. The protein called amyloid-? is found in deposits in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The toxic form of this protein is thought to be small aggregated particles called ‘oligomers’. This work aims to investigate the structure of these particles, the reason why they are toxic, as well as their interaction with the neuroprotective compound EGCG, which is found in green tea.
Selective Targeting Of Microbes By Peptides Of The Innate Immune System.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$626,644.00
Summary
Cytolytic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are key components of the innate immune system of many organisms including man. They act by disrupting the outer membranes of bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses. These simple peptides are highly specific and increasingly seen as a new source of antibiotic agents capable of combating the rising resistance to current drugs. Our aim is to determine the mechanism by which cytolytic AMPs act and to understand the factors that give rise to membrane and cell s ....Cytolytic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are key components of the innate immune system of many organisms including man. They act by disrupting the outer membranes of bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses. These simple peptides are highly specific and increasingly seen as a new source of antibiotic agents capable of combating the rising resistance to current drugs. Our aim is to determine the mechanism by which cytolytic AMPs act and to understand the factors that give rise to membrane and cell specificity.Read moreRead less
Glycan Specificity And Dependence In Rotavirus Host Cell Invasion
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$636,602.00
Summary
Rotavirus is a global pathogen that causes acute gastroenteritis resulting in dehydration and high levels of infant mortality. Annually, infections cause 138 million cases of infantile gastroenteritis and an estimated average of 600,000 deaths. Within Australia ~10,000 children under 5 yrs old are admitted to hospital annually with severe rotavirus-induced diarrhoea. This project will investigate the role of carbohydrates in rotavirus infection to help design new vaccines and inhibitors.