MITOCHONDRIA, OXIDATIVE STRESS AND NEURONAL APOPTOSIS: BIOCHEMICAL, CELLULAR AND PHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACHES [ 2002 - 2002 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: E/Pr Phillip Nagley (Principal investigator) ,  Dr Nam Cheung ,  Prof Philip Beart

Brief description Our goal is to understand the detailed process whereby nerve cells die after various stresses and injury. We aim also to develop novel ways of protecting cells against such death. The death of nerve cells plays an important role in a series of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, Huntington's and Motor Neurone Diseases. One prevalent cause of cell death arises from the action of transmitters that normally signal between nerve cells but which, under conditions of stress and injury, cause overstimulation of the nerve cells leading to death (excitotoxicity). Mitochondria are component of cells normally providing energy for the cell to carry out its various functions; but under stress conditions mitochondria act as controllers in cellular decision-making processes leading to cell death. Moreover, mitochondria are known to play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases, as they are a source of damaging oxygen derivatives called free radicals that cause cell injury. Mitochondria are also involved in death resulting from excitotoxicity. In order to understand the detailed mechanism of the nerve cell death process, we will use cultured nerve cells from the brains of laboratory mice, including both normal mice and those that are models of neurodegenerative disease. Injury leading to death will be induced by analogues of the transmitters that cause excitotoxicity. We will concentrate the those aspects of the death process that involve mitochondria, as this will enable us to test a range of antioxidants that can be expected to lead to new drug treatments for neuronal cell injury. Included in these compounds are novel antioxidants that are targeted to mitochondria. This project brings together the expertise in neuroscience and pharmacology of Professor Beart with the skills in biochemistry of Professor Nagley, particularly in mitochondrial and cell death research, to address this important medical research problem in a multidisciplinary manner.

Funding Amount $AUD 145,880.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant