Current and Ongoing NHMRC Research Projects
NHMRC Discovery: Schizophrenia: Prevention and treatment of atypical antipsychotic drug-induced obesity
Years funded:
2010 $131,375
2011 $146,500
2012 $121,375
Total Funding: $399,250
Project ID: ID635231
Chief Investigators: Huang, XF and C Deng
Project Summary: Atypical antipsychotic drugs such as olanzapine, clozapine and risperidone are commonly used to treat mental illness. While these drugs are effective, their side effects of obesity and metabolic disorders are a major hurdle leading to a serious lack of compliance in taking medication. This project will define the mechanism leading to these side effects and will help to identify pharmaceutical targets for the better treatment of mentally ill patients.
NHMRC Discovery: The effects of phencyclidine on the NMDA receptor/neuregulin1 signalling complex: implications for schizophrenia
Years funded:
2009 $164,250
2010 $139,250
2011 $114,250
Total Funding: $417,000
Project ID: ID573426
Chief Investigators: Huang, XF and Kelly Newell
Project Summary: Phencyclidine is the best known pharmacological agent that can induce schizophrenia-like symptoms in humans and animals. Recent research has strongly suggested that neuregulin1 and ErbB4 signalling are involved in schizophrenia pathology. This study will be the first to determine whether neuregulin1 is altered by phencyclidine, which will further our knowledge by re-evaluating the causal role of neuregulin1 in schizophrenia.
NHMRC-China Exchange: Evaluation of functional protein molecules in treating obesity, 2009-2012, NHMRC, Yinghua Yu (Postdoc) and XF Huang (Supervisor) for NHMRC training fellowship,
Years funded:
2009 $83,542
2010 $83,542
2011 $83,542
2012 $83,542
Total Funding: $334,171
Project ID: ID: 573441
Chief Investigators: Yinghua Yu (Postdoc), XF Huang (Supervisor) and Dou Li (Supervisor)
Project Summary: In this project, dietary intervention where clear links between study design and health claims may be established. Furthermore, this project will define the peripheral and central pathway of whey protein in body weight management in overweight and obese subjects. Furthermore, the celluar and molecular mechanism will be explored in an appropriate diet-induced obese mouse models. The aim of this project is to establish an evidence base of the functional properties of whey protein diet as they relate to body weight management. The project will test the satiation and satiety, lipid and glucose metabolism of whey protein diet on treatment of overweight and obesity individuals (Part 1). Then mechanism of whey protein diet on the maintenance of normal weight, reduction of excessive body weight gain (overweight) and correction of obesity in animal models (Part 2) will be explored by testing blood and brain satiety signals. Obesity is already a health problem in Australia and China and becomes worse in the next 10 year if no appropriate treatment and prevention method is available. This project may help in combating this worldwide health issue.
NHMRC Discovery: The role of cannabis in an Nrg1 animal model of genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia.
Years funded:
2009 $150,000
2010 $150,000
2011 $149,800
Total Funding: $449,800 (CTN: $170,000)
Project ID: ID: 493301
Chief Investigators: Karl, T, J Arnold, XF Huang, I McGregor
Project Summary: The link between psychosis and cannabis use has been discussed for decades. As the majority of users do not develop schizophrenia, it seems that other risk factors are necessary to trigger psychosis. Adolescence may be a time of particular vulnerability to the effects of cannabis use. We aim to use an animal model for schizophrenia to clarify cannabis' impact on the development of schizophrenia when interacting with the risk factors genetic vulnerability and age of onset of cannabis use.