Medical research funding boost for UQCCR researchers
Medical research worth $4 million in National Health and Medical
Research Council project grants will commence at UQCCR in 2010, thanks to
funding announced by the Federal Government.
Funding awarded to UQCCR researchers will support individuals and
teams conducting research into all areas of health, in their
efforts to a better understand diseases and develop
innovations for maintaining good health.
UQQCR researchers successful in receiving funding for NHMRC project grants include:
Prof Nicholas Fisk, Dr Allison Pettit, A/Pr Kiarash
Khosrotehrani, and Dr Liza Raggatt: Preclinical
optimisation of intrauterine transplantation of fetal mesenchymal
stem cells for osteogenesis imperfecta.
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic disorder causing brittle bones and fractures. Currently there is no good treatment. Transplanting stem cells before birth should allow them to build healthy bones early in life. Despite promising effects in animals, stem cell uptake is too low to prevent all fractures and ameliorate pain & deformity. We are studying how to improve the uptake of stem cells given to the fetus and neonate, in order to develop a treatment suitable for eventual use in humans.
Prof David Pow, Dr Nigel Barnett, Dr Barbara Lingwood, Dr Stella Bjorkman, Dr Kathryn Buller, Prof Paul Colditz: Astrocyte Regulation of Ammonia and Glutamate in Neonatal Hypoxia/Ischaemia
This project examines the novel finding that a critical protein needed to remove a toxic molecule in the brain, is rapidly lost in the neonatal brain after an hypoxic insult (lack of oxygen) such as can occur after a difficult labour. This finding has potential diagnostic and therapeutic value.
Prof Paul Hodges, A/Pr Michele Sterling, A/Pr Michael Nicholas, Prof Jacek Cholewicki, Prof Mary Barbe, Dr Graham Moseley,Dr Asad Khan: Why do people keep hurting their back: A longitudinal study of biological, psychological and social predictors
Prof Martin Lavin: Role of Senataxin in protecting against neurodegeneration
A number of rare autosomal recessive ataxias have been described that overlap in their clinical phenotype. A subgroup of these have in common a reduced capacity to deal with damage to the genome which is associated with neurodegeneration. We are characterising the protein (senataxin) defective in one of these syndromes, ataxia oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2). We have generated a mouse model of setx the gene coding for senataxin which will assist in our understanding of this disease.
Prof Martin Lavin, Dr Thilo Dork: Rad50 protects the integrity of the genome to minimise disease risk
Rad50 is a key player in protecting the integrity of the genome to minimise risk of disease. The overall aim of this project is to investigate the role of Rad50 in maintaining the integrity of the genome to reduce the risk of cancer and other disease states.
Dr Allison Pettit, Dr Liza Raggatt: Regulation of Bone Dynamics by Osteal Tissue Macrophages (Osteomacs)
There is a high demand for effective treatments to rebuild and replace lost bone in fracture repair and osteoporosis. We have described a discrete population of macrophages (classically immune defense cells) within the specialized tissues that line bones. We have shown that these bone tissue macrophages have a novel role in promoting the formation of new bone. This project grant will extend these observations and identify the clinical potential of bone tissue macrophages to treat bone disease.
A/Pr Stephen Rose, Prof Stuart Crozier, Dr Olivier Salvado, Prof Alan Coulthard, Dr Paul Thomas, Dr Michael Fay: Improving the Assessment of Brain Tumour Treatment Outcome using 18F-FDOPA PETMRI Fusion
The mortality rate within the first year of diagnosis for high-grade brain tumours is approximately 80%. A major factor contributing to poor outcome measures is the limitation of current neuroimaging techniques. In a novel approach we propose to combine the information available from MRI and PET images to better define the extent of the tumour and provide markers of early treatment response. This improved diagnostic information should improve survival rates.
