NHMRC Research Fellowship (SPRF) (2012–2016)
- Abstract:
- Many human and viral proteins exert their biological activities through relatively small surfaces of protein structures composed of helix, turn and strand shapes. This program includes innovative new approaches for imitating these protein shapes and functions without some of the disadvantages exhibited by protein therapeutics (size, cost, degradation/denaturation, immunogenicity, bioavailability) or conventional small molecule drugs (target promiscuity, side effects). It will create new agonists and antagonists for inflammatory human GPCRs, new antagonists for inflammatory/oncogenic transcriptional activators, and new inhibitors of viral fusion proteins and viral proteases essential for infection and viral replication. These new molecular tools will be used in molecular biochemistry, molecular pharmacology and molecular virology studies to interrogate the modulation of disease-causing human and viral proteins, on and in relevant cells, and in limited animal models of disease. The program will help show how certain proteins, that cause or exacerbate human health, can be regulated to potentially impact on major 21st century health burdens, such as inflammatory diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer, pain and viral infections. Outcomes will include valuable new molecular probes for use in biomedical research, new information on protein-protein interactions that underpin human physiology and disease pathogenesis, and new clues to development of new drugs and diagnostics.
- Grant type:
- NHMRC Research Fellowship
- Researchers:
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- Funded by:
- National Health and Medical Research Council
