2003 RESEARCH - 9 projects, $77,646 Intestinal scarring Chief Investigator: Dr I Lawrance Amount Awarded: $10,000 Crohn's Disease is a life-long condition that presents in young adults. The inflammation involves the entire intestinal wall and often results in scarring. SPARC Protein is associated with wound healing and scarring. It increases tissue digestion and alters healing. It is postulated that SPARC modifies the tissue scarring that complicates Chrohn's Disease and its role will be investigated in SPARC-deficient mice using a model of intestinal scarring. The aim is to understand scarring so that new therapies can be developed. Effects of inhibiting expression of the nuclear transcription factor PPAR gamma in human prostate cancer cells Chief Investigator: Dr B B Yeap Amount Awarded: $10,000 Prostate cancer is a common malignancy affecting many Australians. The research proposed will increase our understanding of the different pathways by which drugs called glitazones, which activate the nuclear receptor PPAR Gamma control prostate cancer cell growth. New molecular biology techniques will be used to identify effects of these compounds in prostate cancer cells distinct from their PPAR Gamma-related actions. This knowledge will assist the future development of new treatments for prostate cancer. Causes of cognitive impairment in older diabetic people Chief Investigators: Dr D Bruce, Ms G Casey, Dr F Ives, Prof T Davis Amount Awarded: $9,900 Older diabetic subjects can suffer from a range of problems with brain function (mild memory loss to dementia) that could threaten their quality of life and independence. Preliminary studies by the researchers suggest that undiagnosed brain lesions, identified on MRI scans, may be important causes of these problems. This project will allow the researchers to make detailed comparisons of brain function and brain lesions detected by MRI scans in older patients with and without cognitive problems to assess whether the lesions are in fact important. The results could lead to future possible preventive treatments of brain function in older people with diabetes. A cellular approach to understanding the phenomena of inadequate antibody responses following flu vaccination in the elderly Chief Investigators: Dr I Beckman, Dr D Mallon Amount Awarded: $7,800 The aged are particularly susceptible to influenza. While vaccination generally works well in healthy adults, it is much less effective in the over 65's. This is because many aged individuals fail to produce protective levels of antibody. This project will investigate why many elderly people fail to make an antibody response to flu vaccines. They plan to look for differences between responders and non-responders in the number and in the activities of particular immune cells (i.e. T cells) that help regular antibody producing cells. This is considered a novel approach, as it has largely been considered to be a B cell problem. A clinical trial to investigate the most effective way of treating repaired extensor tendons in the hand Chief Investigators: Dr I Dowley, A/Prof G Allison, Mr M Halliday Amount Awarded: $4,871 This trial will study adult patients attending Hand Therapy at any of the three major Perth teaching hospitals following repair of the tendons that straighten the fingers. Each participant will be randomly assigned to one of the alternative treatment groups: early active motion, early passive motion, or immobilisation. Outcomes will be recorded 3, 6 and 12 weeks after surgery to compare finger and wrist range of motion, grip strength, cost of therapy and the rate of occurrence of adverse events. Swallowing rehabilitation after stroke Chief Investigators: Dr A McCutcheon, Dr M Huckabee, Ms K Baxter, Ms P Langdon Amount Awarded: $5,629 (plus additional from FH&HS) People who suffer stroke may experience problems eating and drinking. There is currently only limited information available on whether treatment helps restore swallowing function in this population. This study is part of an international project looking at 4 different therapies and measuring their effectiveness in treating swallowing difficulties. There are two different frequencies of therapy - intensive exercise programs versus less intensive. Treatment will also examine whether using biofeedback during therapy has an effect. Results will help direct future therapy for swallowing. Using antibody targeted radiotherapy as well as combined chemotherapy to kill lymphoma cells in patients having bone marrow transplants Chief Investigators: Dr J Cooney, Dr J H Turner, Dr M Leahy Amount Awarded: $9,485 This project plans to use targeted radiation therapy to kill cancer cells in patients having bone marrow transplants for the treatment of lymphoma, in addition to receiving standard chemotherapy. The radiation is linked to a specific antibody which is given as an intravenous infusion at the individually calculated dose. This specific antibody binds to the cancer cells, allowing the short range radiation to kill them without significant irradiation of the surrounding normal tissue cells. This may result in more effective killing of the cancer cells and lessen risk of the lymphoma coming back after bone marrow transplant. Genetic profiling in venous leg ulcer patients Chief Investigators: Dr H J Wallace, A/Prof M Stacey Amount Awarded: $9,961 Chronic leg ulcers are a common recurrent problem in the elderly population, costing approximately 1.3% of the total Australian health care costs. This project aims to determine whether there are differences in selected DNA sequences in patients with venous leg ulcers compared to people of a similar age who have never had a leg ulcer. Variations in DNA sequences (polymorphisms) may be associated with susceptibility to particular diseases. The contribution of genetic differences to the occurrence of venous leg ulcers has not yet been determined. The researchers have selected four genes to study which have known polymorphisms. These genes fall into two categories - 1) those involved in inflammation, and 2) those involved in potential damage to connective tissue of the skin. Measuring the level of tissue factor, responsible for blood clotting, to determine its role in cancers of the blood Chief Investigators: Dr MF Leahy, Dr BJ Dale, Dr RJ Hensen, Dr JE Burton Amount Awarded: $10,000 Scientists have realised since 1865 that patients who have cancer develop blood clots more easily than those without. It has taken over a hundred years to discover the details of how we form clots and why this happens more often in cancer patients. Recently a substance called tissue factor has received interest because it is the main initiator of the clotting process and the levels of tissue factor are much higher in patients with cancer. The researchers' study wishes to test the levels of tissue factor in patients who have cancers of the blood like leukaemia to see whether the levels are higher and whether this could be used to predict the risk of clotting or of the cancer progressing. Measuring tissue factor could be used to help treat cancer patients or as a screening test for diagnosis.

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