Perinatal Exposure To Household And Environmental Toxins And The Risk Of Asthma And Allergic Disease Up To 25 Years
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$291,078.00
Summary
Perinatal exposure to household and environmental toxins may increase asthma and allergic disease risk. Adverse exposures in this critical developmental window may have a marked and prolonged effect on health. A birth cohort of high-allergy risk children will be used to investigate the effect of common chemical exposures on the risk of asthma and allergic disease up to 25 years. This evidence could be used to inform guidelines on common household chemical exposures
The Relationship Between Maternal And Infant Dietary Intake Of Fermentable Fibre, Gut Microbiota, Short Chain Fatty Acids And Allergic Disease And Asthma: A Population-derived Birth Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$871,700.00
Summary
The proposed study will involve the Barwon Infant Study (BIS) cohort of 1074 infants to provide the first systematic investigation of the hypotheses that the epidemic of allergic disease and asthma in many parts of the world relates to the paucity of fermentable fibre in the modern diet, and that the protective effect of fermentable fibre is mediated by changes in the organisms that colonise the gut and the metabolites that they produce.
Only recently has it emerged that our cells have a built-in backup mechanism that instructs cells to die in extreme cases, such as when viruses have hijacked a cell. A misfiring backup mechanism is thought to underlie a number of human diseases, including inflammatory disease. Our investigation will establish a starting point for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs.
Bridging The Gap: Addressing Refugee Inequalities Through Primary Health Care Service Reform
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$690,568.00
Summary
This proposal will develop and test interventions to reform maternity and maternal & child health systems to tackle known inequalities in health and health care for vulnerable families, particularly clients of refugee backgrounds. Innovation in system redesign and service delivery will result in sustainable improvements in access to and quality of care and measurable improvements in maternal, newborn and child health.
A New Function For An Old Enzyme: Src Protein Kinase Directs Excitotoxic Neuronal Death In Stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$513,975.00
Summary
In our previous investigation of how brain cells die in patients suffering from stroke, we found that stroke causes aberrant activation of an enzyme called Src in the affected brain cells. Furthermore, this aberrantly activated Src directs the brain cells to undergo cell death. Our proposal, which aims to decipher this neurotoxic mechanism of the aberrantly activated Src will benefit development of new therapeutic strategies to reduce brain damage in stroke patients.
Understanding How Bcl-2 Proteins Form The Apoptotic Pores That Kill Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$893,614.00
Summary
Programmed cell death termed apoptosis is a process our bodies use to remove cells that are a threat to our health, e.g. cancer cells. The proteins that regulate cell death are attractive targets for therapeutics that have become resistant to this defence mechanism. This study will reveal how proteins from the Bcl-2 family regulate cell death at the molecular level. Understanding this process will inform the development of drugs aimed at regulating cell death in cancer and other diseases.
What Is The Molecular Mechanism Underlying Cell Death By Necroptosis?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,742.00
Summary
Recently, we and others have demonstrated that part of the MLKL protein is able to kill cells. This process is known to cause a number of pathologies, including those arising from stroke. Blocking this type of cell death has thus emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy. However, precisely how MLKL kills cells remains unclear and controversial. In this project, we will resolve these controversies with the goal of an increased fundamental understanding to aid drug discovery.
A Community-based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial In Rural Bangladesh To Evaluate The Impact Of The Use Of Iron/folic Acid Supplements Early In Pregnancy On The Risk Of Neonatal MortalityBACKGROUND An Effective Program Of Antenatal Iron/folic Ac
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,564,922.00
Summary
This community-based trial in rural Bangladesh will determine if iron/folic acid supplementation commencing in the first trimester of pregnancy significantly reduces newborn deaths, and whether this approach is cost-effective. This trial has the potential to inform international public health policy about the importance of starting antenatal iron/folic acid supplementation early to improve neonatal survival, and to help countries reach their child survival Millennium Development Goal
Targeting Necroptosis Signalling To Counter Stroke-induced Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$605,809.00
Summary
The origins of the brain injury that arises from stroke remain a matter of enormous interest. Our work suggests that a poorly understood form of cell death, termed necroptosis, contributes to injury to the brain following stroke. In addition to developing an advanced understanding of this process, we will use drugs developed at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute to test whether blocking this process might be a plausible therapeutic strategy in stroke patients.
Targeting Caspase 8 In T-Cell Homeostasis And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,215,780.00
Summary
Chronic infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and tuberculosis impose a massive global health burden and new treatments are desperately needed. This proposal investigates a new approach to improve immune responses and clear chronic infections. Our multidisciplinary team will define the molecular and cellular biology underlying this approach and translate our findings by re-purposing a drug already approved for other indications in humans.