Reducing the high rate of chronic kidney disease in First Nations communities

Why are First Nations people more vulnerable to developing CKD?
An MRFF funded study is finding out. Image: Shutterstock

Indigenous-led research is using advanced multi-omics technology to reduce the high rate of chronic kidney disease in First Nations communities.

In 2020 a team of Monash, Baker and SAHMRI researchers received MRFF funding of $2M to investigate chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Indigenous populations for their project entitled "Reducing the burden of chronic kidney disease in the Indigenous population - the PROPHECY CKD study" to investigate why First Nations Peoples have one of the highest rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the world. 

Two years on, they know more as they follow up on close to 1500 First Nations donors of blood samples.

See faculty story.

$2M MRFF grant win for reducing chronic kidney disease in Australia's Indigenous population

The MRFF Indigenous Health CKD team members L-R: CIA Prof Mark Cooper (Monash University), CIB Ms Kim Morey (SAHMRI), CIC Prof Paul Zimmet (MU), CID Mr Ricky Mentha (Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute), CIE Prof Karin Jandeleit-Dahm (MU), CIF Prof Assam El-Osta (MU), CIG Prof Stephen McDonald (SAHMRI)

Congratulations to Professor Mark Cooper, Department of Diabetes, on the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funding award in the area of Indigenous Health research. The Monash University Diabetes researchers are collaborating with researchers at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) in South Australia on a project entitled "Reducing the burden of chronic kidney disease in the Indigenous population - the PROPHECY CKD study" (APP1200005) which has been awarded $1,995,895 across five years.

Department of Diabetes researchers Paul Zimmet and Mark Cooper star in Google rankings

Central Clinical School has world-leading researchers and we're not just saying that. CCS Department of Diabetes researchers Professors Paul Zimmet AO and Mark Cooper AO (Head, Department of Diabetes) do well in Google Scholar rankings, Prof Zimmet ranking 4th in the world for diabetes citations, and Prof Cooper 28th. Prof Zimmet says that's because he's had a head start!
scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=search_authors&hl=en&mauthors=label:diabetes

Figuring out why diabetes affects the kidneys

L-R: Professors Karin Jandeleit-Dahm,
Mark Cooper and Dr Jakob Oestergaard

Dr Jakob Oestergaard is a Danish physician, who is currently visiting Central Clinical School's Department of Diabetes for one year from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark to pursue his interest in diabetes research and clinical treatment.

In particular, he’s interested in the mechanisms which lead to diabetic nephropathy and other complications from diabetes. This represents a major health issue, as type 2 diabetes is on the increase, now affecting almost 10% of the world’s population. Up to 40% of these patients will develop diabetic kidney disease.

Smart nanomaterials to revolutionise insulin delivery for diabetes

Associate Professor Christoph Hagemeyer

by Anne Crawford

Type 1 diabetes (T1D), a disease with no cure, currently affects more than 120,000 Australians.

People with T1D are dependent on insulin, a hormone, to help keep their blood-sugar levels from skyrocketing which can lead to long-term complications such as kidney and heart diseases responsible for significant morbidity and mortality.

However, if too much insulin is injected, sugar levels become dangerously low, called hypoglycaemia, resulting in coma or death.

Associate Professor Christoph Hagemeyer, a research group leader in the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD), has been granted $944,796 from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to further research that is generating smart nanoparticles that automatically regulate the optimal amount of insulin available to the body.

Focus on Diabetes: Sunway Biomedical Symposium

Prof. Paul Zimmet
attended the recent Sunway Biomedical Symposium.

Professor Mark Cooper and Professor Paul Zimmet recently attended the Sunway Biomedical Symposium in Malaysia.  Leading academics from the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Monash University came together for the two-day symposium. With a focus on diabetes mellitus, the theme was "Diabetes: Disarming the Silent Killer".

The major cost of diabetes is its complications. Professor Cooper’s presentation highlighted new approaches to these complications such as SGLT2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 analysis, which appear to offer end-organ protection independent of their glucose lowering effects.

Media mentions: Diabetes and PBS listings

New diabetes medicines added to PBS list. Image: Channel 9

25 Mar 2018: Channel 9 story, "New diabetes medicines hit PBS". Excerpt:

Monash University's Professor Mark Cooper said new medicines were needed to help people who were struggling to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Exploring the brave new world of the epigenome

Professor Sam El-Osta's (second from right, back row) research group

by Anne Crawford

When it comes to the epigenome, there is a fine line between clarity and confusion—walk that line and you will discover another fascinating level of transcription control.

So begins a review of the current state-of-play of studies into epigenetics in diabetic complications led by Professor Sam El-Osta from Monash University’s Department of Diabetes. The paper, which focusses particularly on the complication diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease), appeared on the cover of last month’s edition of ‘Diabetologia’.

Profs Mark Cooper and Paul Zimmet receive IDF awards

Professor Mark Cooper presented one of the prestigious International Diabetes Federation’s Award lectures in Abu Dhabi on “The science of diabetes complications” which recognised his and his team’s major discoveries in this area. The lecture was titled “Pathogenesis of micro and macrovascular complications: are there common pathways for both?"

Prof Paul Zimmet received a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' (right) for his huge contribution to diabetes research.

See more about the IDF Congress: www.idf.org/our-activities/congress.html

Video of the Week: Diabetes and its complications - 2017 CCS Public Lecture by Professor Mark Cooper

2017 Central Clinical School public lecture by Professor Mark Cooper AO, on "Changing the way we treat diabetes and its complications". See more:

• Video: https://youtu.be/GpHEQgyDKs8 (53:15 mins)
• Lecture description: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/headlines/events-calendar/2017-public-lecture-cooper
• Slides: https://www.slideshare.net/ccsmonash/changing-the-way-we-treat-diabetes-and-its-complications-public-lecture
• Department of Diabetes: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/diabetes/about-us
• Photo gallery: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VMvzSDrnw9U8bkdv1

Photo of the Week: CCS Diabetes public lecture

Central Clinical School held its annual public lecture last night (Thursday 19 October 2017), given by Professor Mark Cooper AO, head of CCS's new Department of Diabetes.  A vivid example of the effect of diabetes on our bodies as we age was about how our body tissues are modified by advanced glycation end (AGE) products: "We barbecue with age, and diabetes cooks us quicker". See slide show. Photo gallery and video to be published soon.

Event reminder: Changing the way we treat diabetes and its complications, CCS Public Lecture

Professor Cooper in the new Department of Diabetes

The CCS Public Lecture on diabetes and its complications, presented by Professor Mark Cooper AO, is coming up shortly on Thursday October 19.

Video of the week: Diabetes research at Monash

Watch CCS Monash videos

Monash University is delighted to present you with a virtual tour of its new state-of-the-art Diabetes research department. The support of local philanthropists, including current major donors, the Meydan and Jreissati families, is gratefully acknowledged.

Opened by the Honourable Greg Hunt MP, Federal Minister for Health, 23 August 2017, the new research department provides a sophisticated working space for 60 world class scientists, examining 10 critical areas of diabetes research.

With two of Australia’s most prominent diabetologists at the forefront of Monash University’s Department of Diabetes, Professor Mark Cooper AO and Professor Paul Zimmet AO, the university department will become the first and only in Australia dedicated solely to diabetes. 

These new facilities will provide exciting opportunities to tackle diabetes and its complications leading to a genuine impact on one of the world’s fastest growing epidemics.

Learn more about the Department of Diabetes, within Monash University's Central Clinical School (CCS) which has a broad range of translational research investigating both causes and clinical therapies for diabetes and its complications, diabetic retinopathy, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.

An Australian first: Monash launches new Diabetes Department

Research in the Diabetes department

Monash University will today officially launch its new Department of Diabetes – the first and only university department in Australia dedicated to the disease.

To be opened by the Honourable Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health, the new Department is a partnership between Monash’s Central Clinical School in its Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Alfred Health.

Minister Hunt welcomed the new Department and what it will deliver in finding new cures and treatments for diabetes. “Diabetes is a debilitating disease and serious health issue affecting more than 1 million Australians,” Minister Hunt said.

Changing the way we treat diabetes and its complications: 19 October CCS public lecture

Professor Mark Cooper AO, Head of Diabetes
dept in CCS, is giving a public lecture 19 Oct.

Public lecture on Diabetes by Professor Mark Cooper AO, 19 October 2017

Since the discovery of insulin over 90 years ago and a number of oral tablets after the second world war there was very little change in the treatment of type 2 diabetes until the last decade.  In the last 10 years there have been dramatic improvements in the way we treat type 2 diabetes also known as maturity onset diabetes, a condition that has become arguably the largest worldwide epidemic as the world has industrialised with increasing obesity and reduced exercise.

See detail here or below. All welcome,  RSVP for catering.

Translational Research Symposium Speaker Spotlight - Prof Mark Cooper

Professor Mark Cooper

Monash University's 3rd annual Translational Research Symposium is being hosted by its three metropolitan clinical schools on 31 July 2017. The symposium will host a diverse group of medical researchers presenting their work into translational research. RSVP here.

Professor Mark Cooper is the Head of the Department of Diabetes and was recently made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his service to biomedical research in the field of Diabetes.

Reversing damage caused by diabetes complications

L-R: Prof Karin Jandeleit-Dahm, Dr Stephen Gray and
Dr Jay Jha are researching inhibition of enzymes known
to cause kidney injury in diabetes. See Diabetologia paper.
Image: Life Scientist

By Eliza Watson

Diabetes affects around 1.7 million Australians. Sufferers with the disease are unable to control blood glucose levels either through failure to produce insulin (Type 1) or resistance of cells to insulin (Type 2). It can have a range of serious complications affecting the major arteries (macrovascular diseases) potentially leading to stroke, as well as causing kidney disease, nerve damage and loss of vision (microvascular diseases). The seriousness of these complications highlights the need for effective preventive measures.

In a collaborative study involving several Monash University researchers, a potential treatment was assessed and found to successfully reduce some of these complications.

CCS Top Tweets: Mark Cooper and Stuart Marshall

Central Clinical School's @CCSMonash top recent tweets were for Professor Mark Cooper's AO and Dr Stuart Marshall's Radio National Health Report interview.

Photo of the Week: Professor Mark Cooper, Order of Australia!

Professor Mark Cooper AO is seen here presenting in the 2016 Central Clinical School postgraduate symposium. He is the inaugural Head of the newly formed Department of Diabetes in the Central Clinical School. His lifetime career is diabetes research, and Mark was awarded an Order of Australia in the 2017 Australia Day Honours list. See more about Mark in our feature article and about the new Department of Diabetes in a story republished from the Australian Jewish News. We will be profiling our new Department's researchers and their work as they settle in over the next few months.

Congratulations to Professor Mark Cooper AO!

Professor Mark Cooper AO was awarded
an Order of Australia on 26 January 2017

Congratulations to Professor Mark Cooper AO, who has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his distinguished service to biomedical research in the field of diabetes, as well as for his service to medical education.

Mark's research interests are in diabetes and its three major complications: kidney disease, heart disease and blindness. He is the inaugural head of the new Department of Diabetes at Central Clinical School and maintains an active clinical practice at the Alfred as a senior endocrinologist. Mark was the Chief Scientific Officer of the Baker Institute.

Professor Paul Zimmet AO, one of the field's pioneer researchers in diabetes epidemiology, Professor of Diabetes at Monash University and former Director Emeritus, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, commended Mark on his award. He said, "This is wonderful national recognition for Mark, already recognised as one of the international leaders in diabetes research. Mark and his team are indisputably one of the peer groups in diabetes research in the world and are a great acquisition for Monash."