Associate Professor Karen Gregory (L) and Dr Lauren May (R)
A team of Melbourne scientists have been backed by the Commonwealth Government's Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Stem Cell Therapies Mission to develop new safer and more effective medicines for dementia.
The $953,751 grant will enable the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) team to "light up" human brain cells to observe activity and, ultimately, pinpoint new drug-like compounds with longer-term potential of translating into new medicines to manage symptoms associated with dementia.
Dementia is the second leading cause of death of all Australians and the leading cause of death for Australian women, with the number of people living with dementia expected to double in the next 30 years without significant intervention.
Traditionally, neuroscience drug discovery has high failure rates which is in part due to relying on poor model systems for human brain disorders. The MIPS team will address this challenge by developing new methods to light up human brain cells to measure the real-time activity of proteins directly linked to dementia.
The program's lead Chief Investigator, Associate Professor Karen Gregory from MIPS, said new effective and safer medicines are needed to manage the different symptoms experienced by people living with dementia.
"Our goal is to create new and improved human brain cell-based models to reliably and more rapidly identify novel drug candidates with the best chance of becoming future new medicines" Associate Professor Gregory said.
"The MRFF grant will enable us to develop a range of methods including using mRNA delivery of fluorescent biosensors to measure real-time activity from different locations inside human brain cells."
Additionally, the team will use specialised lab-grown brain cells made from human cells to help them study dementia. They will use 'fluorescent chemical probes' (glowing dyes) to look at changes in two key substances in the brain: tau, a protein implicated in dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, and amyloid, which is often found in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Dr Lauren May, also a program Chief Investigator from MIPS, said dementia is a broad term used to describe a group of neurodegenerative conditions characterised by gradual impairment of brain function which can greatly impact quality of life for those living with dementia.
"Dementia is associated with many symptoms which can have a significant impact on the lives of people living with dementia. These symptoms include impact to memory, speech, cognition and mobility. We're excited to have support from the government to embark on much-needed new ways to discover safer medications to more effectively manage the symptoms of dementia," Dr May said.
Director of MIPS Professor Chris Porter said the grant is a good example of the quality and innovation of neuroscience research at MIPS.
"Neurodegenerative diseases are extremely prevalent worldwide, yet at the same time they are particularly challenging to manage. This research program being led by Karen and Lauren reflects the innovation required to pave the way toward a new class of more effective medicines to manage dementia," Professor Porter said.
The full team of Chief Investigators from MIPS includes Dr Lauren May, Professor Colin Pouton, Dr Amandeep Kaur, Dr Manuela Jörg, Dr Emily Reeve, Associate Professor Michelle Halls and Dr Amanda Cross, in addition to Professor Afia Ali from University College London and Dr Rachelle Balez from the University of Wollongong. Professor Peter Scammells from MIPS is an Associate Investigator.
A consumer advocate provided invaluable insights and feedback in composing the application and the team is looking forward to continuing to work with advocates and other expert stakeholders throughout the duration of the research program.
