Kris Vacy

Our Aims

This research forms the basis of a new treatment which could address a current gap which has yet to be filled in treating age-related dementia. The amount of money we are aiming to raise through this campaign is targeted to a very specific step that will start us on the commercialisation journey. If our work is commercialised, this means anyone can benefit from it.

The value of this project has received strong support from the business experts from The University of Melbourne, the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and external Intellectual Property experts. The funds we raise will be used for performing the experiments required to reinforce the strength of the pending patent applications which fundamentally underpins the next steps for industry engagement, future experimental design and manufacturing. The existing data, unique facilities and skill of the scientific team behind this innovation strongly justifies this next step may well underpin the development of a product in Melbourne that could change how we evaluate and treat age-related neurodegenerative disease globally.

Without this funding, we would not be able to perform this crucial pre-clinical experiment which is the final step in our process for progressing our findings. The end result is that without pre-clinical results, we'd not be able to obtain further funding that would be required to develop this treatment for age related dementia.

People Involved

Dr. Wah Chin Boon (The Florey) and Prof. Ute Roessner (University of Melbourne) have collaborated for more 5 years in using sophisticated technologies to measure fat in the brain. They have access to both mouse models of disease and human brain tissue.

Our Experimental Objectives

The brain has 60% fat comprised of thousands of different fat species. The types of fat can modify activities of ion channels and hence memory formation and recall.

• Fatty Acids are found in the diet, mainly as different types of oils and fats
• We have identified that one of these fatty acids (referred to here as “Fatty Acid A”) correlates with age related dementia
  • High levels of Fatty Acid A are present in young and healthy brains
  • Fatty Acid A levels are lower in aged or Alzheimer’s disease brains
  • Established mouse models show Fatty Acid A decreases with age

We propose that by feeding old mice Fatty Acid A, we can increase the levels of Fatty Acid A in the brain and also improve their memory. Hence, Fatty Acid A can potentially be used to treat dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, and low blood levels of Fatty Acid A maybe predictive of dementia, leading to a diagnostic test. These experiments can be completed in 12 months.

Our ultimate goal is to develop a diagnostic test and treatment for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, for which currently there is no cure. We aim to do this by conducting experiments using mice and the role that fatty acids may play in treating dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases and how fatty acid levels can be predictive of dementia. We envisage these experiments to be completed in 12 months.  

Your constribution can help make our discovery possible

We are seeking contributions for our research project, which may allow our lab to commercialise this treatment and make it available more widely. The money we raise will enable us to generate preliminary data, so as to increase chances of getting further funding from other sources that will help us develop our research further. With you help, we can get one step closer towards learning more about diagnosing and treating dementia.

All donations (please select the 'no reward' option) to this project of $2 and above are tax deductible. 

Reward options are not tax deductable.

Base Target:

• $10,000 will allow us to test Fatty Acid A in a cohort of male mice.

Stretch Target:

• $20,000 will allow us to test Fatty Acid A in both male and female mice.

While we have an idea of what to expect, the research may lead us in a new direction. This isn't necessarily a risk, but an exciting opportunity to learn something new.