Research Projects

Call for Applications for the Trish Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship

The Trish Foundation is calling for applications for the Trish Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship, commencing 2011.  Applications close with MS Research Australia on 31st July 2010.

Please click on these links to access the following documents:

* All projects funded by the Foundation are recommended for funding by MS Research Australia’s Research Management Council following assessment, evaluation and ranking, including a peer-review process. The projects are then considered by the Trish Foundation’s honorary Scientific Research Committee and, having met our firm funding guidelines, are recommended to the Foundation’s Board for approval.

Breaking News on Funding

The Trish Foundation is pleased to announce the following Research Projects will be funded in our 2010 round of funding:

1. Grant - Dr Ben Emery, University of Melbourne. Understanding the events that control myelination in the brain and spinal cord - 2010-2011

2. Grant - Dr Helmet Butzkueven, Howard Florey Institute. Understanding mechanisms of brain and spinal damage in MS – 2010-2011

3. Incubator Grant - Dr Fabienne Brilot-Turville, The Children's Hospital Westmead. Biomarkers in early paediatric CNS demyelination, and risk of progression to multiple sclerosis.

These projects have been recommended for funding by MS Research Australia’s Research Management Council and have been approved by the Foundation’s Scientific Research Committee and Board of Directors.

ANZgene Findings

The ANZgene Consortium, now made up of more than 40 investigators from 11 institutions in Australia and New Zealand, have discovered two new locations of genes which will help to unravel the causes of MS and other autoimmune diseases. Their findings have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics.

“For decades the cause of MS has remained a mystery. This discovery reveals important new insights into the genetic susceptibility to the disease. The newly discovered gene locations on chromosomes 12 and 20 offer very promising targets which indicate susceptibility to MS. They also reveal a link between genetic susceptibility to MS and other autoimmune diseases and the potential involvement of Vitamin D metabolism in the risk of developing these diseases. These results are like the key in the door – leading us to where to look for MS susceptibility,” said Professor Trevor Kilpatrick, Director for Neurosciences at the University of Melbourne, who with Dr Justin Rubio of Florey Neurasciences Institutes coordinated the international study.

Given it took 30 years to find the second MS gene, the Trish Foundation is proud to have made a contribution to these very important findings and at the Foundation’s Board Meeting on 16 July 2009 Jeremy Wright, Executive Director MS Research Australia, presented the Foundation with a Frame of Appreciation in recognition of the Foundation’s contribution to the ANZgene findings.

Professor Jim Wiley, Chairman of the ANZgene Consortium said, “This is a significant discovery.”

Additional funding approved

Professor John Prineas, Dr Michael Barnett and Dr Ben Crussett are recipients in the Trish Foundation’s 2009 round of funding. These eminent researchers have produced better than expected preliminary results and consequently MS Research Australia’s Research Management Council has approved additional funding for this important research Project. This has also been approved by the Trish Foundation’s Scientific Research Committee and Board of Directors and the Trish Foundation will fund the additional amount.

MS Research Australia Brain Bank

“The MS Research Australia Brain Bank has a huge responsibility”, said MS Brain Bank Director Professor Simon Hawke. “People with MS, in bequeathing tissue for scientific research, are making a final gift to others with MS. They hope that their gift will lead to a cure for others. So we really see the MS Brain Bank as owned by People with MS and their families. Our brief as custodians of the tissue for donors and their families, is to make certain it will be of most use to scientists working on MS, so that our understanding of the disease increases.” The primary objective of the National MS Brain Bank is to co-ordinate the collection, storage and use of human tissue from People with Multiple Sclerosis and Professor Hawke requests People with MS consider bequeathing their brains for research. Trish Foundation supporters will recall the Foundation underwrote and provided the initial funding for the MS Brain Bank and to achieve further breakthroughs it urgently needs access to human tissue from people with MS.

Dr Michael Barnett based at the Brain and Mind Research Institute (NSW) is undertaking a protein-based project and is the first researcher to draw on the MSRABB human tissue. He is also a Trish MS Research Foundation grant recipient. Dr Barnett’s better than expected preliminary results advance highly sensitive techniques measuring molecular changes in human tissues. However, he requires tissue from the human MSRABB to complete his work.

To register with the MSRABB, please visit http://www.msbrainbank.org.au or call 1300 672 265.

Additional findings

In science reporting what isn’t interesting is just as important as following promising leads. It can save lots of time, money and effort. Dr Attila Svetko, a recent Trish MS Research Foundation scholar (Griffith University), has shown that two specific genetic variants appear to play no role in MS susceptibility.

This type of information is important in directing the next phase of research from the ANZgene genetics discoveries. As researchers prioritise the genes for further interrogation, helps to know which are unlikely to yield. Dr Svetko recently published paper in the Neurological Research journal suggests that two specific genetic variants in the toll-like receptor 3 gene is unlikely to affect MS susceptibility.

Stem cells

Stem cells are a unique resource, providing in principle access to unlimited quantities of cells that can give rise to a variety of more specialised cells. Natalie Payne is a Trish MS Research Foundation Scholar at Monash University investigating the therapeutic potential of adult stem cells.

In the first instance, Natalie is characterising the properties of the stem cells that could eventually be used to treat MS. This is an important prerequisite for the use of stem cells as a treatment in humans.

But does stem cell therapy actually work? Further research will assess the treatment potential of stem cells in animals with an MS-like condition. Natalie is evaluating the ability of these stem cells to suppress disease activity in both chronic progressive and relapsing animal MS. She will also use sophisticated live animal imaging techniques to track the fate of transplanted stem cells.

Recently, stem cells have been shown to behave as beacons that can specifically home in on sites of inflammation, calm the immune response and enhance innate repair. However, it may turn out to be that by exploiting these homing properties, stem cells will be even more beneficial if used as a delivery system for targeted treatments.

Just over half way through completing her PhD training, Natalie has already written on the promise of stem cell and regenerative therapies for MS in two journals, given a presentation at a recent conference and presented three posters.

Young Aussie Sheds Light on MS Gene

A young Australian scientist adds to the debate over a genetic variant thought to increase MS susceptibility.  Attila Szvetko has shown that a specific change within the gene encoding for human protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C (also known by the more palatable acronym PTPRC) does not play a role in the Australian Caucasian population.

This is despite previous studies reporting its role in increasing susceptibility to MS in German patients. Why could this be? It may be that there just weren’t enough samples to detect the modest differences that contribute to disease susceptibility in Australian Caucasians (Attila used 205 MS and 205 non-MS samples). It could also be possible that genetic variations within this gene differ between races.

MS is a genetically complex disease. It is likely that no single gene in isolation is the sole driver of MS susceptibility. For this reason, big genetics studies have more power to identify genes with modest effects in MS.

Advances in understanding the genetics of MS will be made in 2009.  ANZgene, the Australasian genetics consortium is avidly deliberating over results from an 18 month study. In addition, ANZgene members are part of the International MS Genetics Consortium that will analyse over 18,000 samples from people with MS from around the world. Both of these studies will be a rich source of data to understand the role of specific genes in MS including PTPRC.

Attila has added a new finding to the pool of knowledge surrounding this gene. This work was part of his thesis at Griffith University under the supervision of Professor Lyn Griffiths. So what now for this high-achiever? Attila has been accepted into medical school starting in 2009.

Attila’s research was funded by a Trish Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation Postgraduate Research Scholarship.

Research Projects Approved for Funding commencing 2009

The following Research Projects are being funded in our round of funding commencing 2009:

All projects funded by the Foundation are recommended for funding by MS Research Australia’s Research Management Council following assessment, evaluation and ranking, including a peer-review process.  The projects are then considered by the Trish Foundation’s honorary Scientific Research Committee and, having met the Foundation’s firm funding guidelines, are recommended to the Foundation’s Board for approval.

Trish Foundation/Betty Cuthbert Postdoctoral Fellowship Yet To Be Awarded

In 2008 the Trish Foundation called for applications, jointly branded with MS Research Australia, for a Trish Foundation/Betty Cuthbert Postdoctoral Fellowship to enable young scientists with appropriate research experience to undertake research relevant to MS.

In a unique partnership arrangement, the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and MS Research Australia (MSRA) have agreed to jointly fund a number of Betty Cuthbert Postdoctoral Fellowships, where they are of sufficient merit.

There are Fellowships and Scholarships which are being funded either partly or wholly this year by NHMRC and there were no other applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships which were of a high enough quality to enable the Trish Foundation to fund. However we are happy to wait for one or several top quality candidates.

Postgraduate Research Scholars

Postgraduate Research Scholars funded by the Trish Foundation ‘making a difference’ in MS research. For more details see pages 6 and 7 of our Spring 2008 newsletter.

ANZGene and the MS Brain Bank

In 2005, the Trish MS Research Foundation’s contribution of $200,000 was the catalyst for what would become Australia’s most significant effort in MS genetics research.  It was the impetus to mobilize MS researchers, with coordination from MS Research Australia, to identify the genes underlying MS susceptibility and relapses.  The collaboration was extended across the Tasman to include samples from New Zealand.

The Trish MS Research Foundation has an eye for investing in essential infrastructure to support MS researchers.  In 2006 the Foundation provided the initial funds for the biggest MS DNA Bank.  In 2007, the Foundation’s contribution of $100,000 seeded the roots of what has become the MS Brain Bank. 

For more details regarding ANZGene and the MS Brain Bank, see page 6 of our Winter 2008 newsletter.

Trish Foundation’s Research Funds Doubled

The Australian MS Genetics Consortium, known as AusGene received a special Linkage Grant from the Department of Education, Science and Training and the Australian Research Council. The Trish Foundation’s contribution of $200,000 was matched, along with the contribution by the John T Reid Charitable Trusts and the research facilitator MSRA, enabling a budget of over A$1million to be established. For more details see page 6 of our Spring 2007 newsletter.

Postgraduate Research Scholarship

The Trish Foundation is pleased to announce the successful applicant for the Postgraduate Research Scholarship is Natalie Payne, the Scientific Title of her Project being, “Stimulation of the innate immune system and its role in generation of CNS autoimmune inflammation”. Natalie Payne’s Project will be administered by Professor Claude Bernard, Head, Neuroimmunology Laboratory, Monash Immunology & Stem Cell Laboratories.

Identifying genes for subtype and susceptibility in MS

The Trish Foundation has committed $200,000 to the Gene Platform, a National MS Gene Bank, which has now been initiated at the Menzies Institute in Tasmania, University of Melbourne, Sydney University (Westmead), University of Newcastle and Griffith University, Gold Coast. The MS researchers have all agreed to pool their bio-samples and records, via a common database and common protocols. When fully developed this ‘bank’ will be made available to Australian (and overseas) researchers to fully investigate the genetic links to MS.

The project is the subject of an Australian Research Council linkage grant application.

The research includes comparisons between relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive and primary progressive MS and this program will put Australia at the forefront of world-wide MS genetic research.

The National MS-specific Brain and Tissue Bank

MS Research Australia has requested the Trish Foundation underwrite funding for the National MS-specific Brain and Tissue Bank, which is a platform Program that is a priority of MS Research Australia’s Research Management Council and is central to MS Research Australia’s strategy in Australia. This Program will be the subject of an enabling grant to the NH&MRC.

The Trish Foundation is pleased to announce the Board and our honorary Scientific Research Committee has approved funds to underwrite the National MS-specific Brain and Tissue Bank.

Betty Cuthbert Fellowship

The National Health & Medical Research Council Betty Cuthbert Awards were launched in November 2005 by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Hon. Tony Abbott.  The Trish Foundation is partly funding the inaugural Betty Cuthbert Fellowship.

Mr Abbott awarded Dr Helmut Butzkueven with the inaugural Betty Cuthbert Fellowship and Dr Mark Slee with the first Betty Cuthbert Scholarship at a ceremony in Canberra. The two new grants from the NH&MRC total $355,000 and are jointly funded by MS Research Australia and NH&MRC, with the Fellowship partly funded by the Trish Foundation.

The Betty Cuthbert Fellowship was awarded to Dr Helmut Butzkueven, of the MS Group at the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne, to continue his research into optic neuritis, the most common presenting symptom of multiple sclerosis.

Post-Doctoral Fellowship

The Trish Foundation is partly funding a Postdoctoral Fellowship for Dr. D. Linares Bandin (Canberra Hospital, ANU) Supervised by Dr. A. Katsifis and Dr. DO. Willenborg: Novel radiolabelled peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) ligands for imaging and treating neuroinflammation.

Reports on Research Projects

Interim reports on the Trish MS Research Foundation funded projects has been provided by our sponsored projects.

Please click on this link to read Progress Reports.

Funding Grants Announced

The Trish Foundation has announced its second round of funding for research grants, having committed a further $250,000 for research into the pursuit of a cure or preventative strategy for multiple sclerosis.

The Trish Foundation and Multiple Sclerosis Australia called for applications for research which were jointly branded and were overwhelmed by the number of worthy applications for research, sadly all of which could not be funded.

Applications were assessed internationally and were ranked by the Medical and Research Advisory Board of MS Australia, following which the Trish Foundation’s honorary Scientific Research Committee recommended the projects which meet the firm funding guidelines of the Trish Foundation to the Foundation’s Board for approval.

The four projects which the Foundation will fund are all Queensland-based and address fundamental aspects of causation or prevention. Foundation Scientific Research Committee member Professor Peter Russell said, “Momentum is gathering in the quest to eradicate this disease. The part our Foundation plays should not be underestimated, as it underpins the fragile research funding in Australia into multiple sclerosis and its causes.”

The four grants were made to the following researchers:

Inaugural 2002 Round of Funding

The inaugural (2002) funding round of the Trish Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation resulted in five grants (detailed below).  The projects were all from major Australian Universities or Research Institutes, and spread over four Australian states. They addressed genetic, environmental and other likely causes of multiple sclerosis as well as the mechanisms of demyelination and one of the cardinal early symptoms of multiple sclerosis -  fatigue.