Alveolar Macrophage Zinc And Zinc Transporters And Their Role In Phagocytosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$288,975.00
Summary
Zinc is an essential dietary component that serves a number of functions in the lungs. It is both an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Some airway inflammatory diseases such as emphysema may involve a critical loss of lung zinc. We believe that cigarette smoke causes the loss of zinc and this prevents the lung macrophages from working properly to clear bacteria and dead cells. This will provide a foundation for our long term goals of better clinical management of emphysema.
Pharmacological Strategy For Blocking Lung Cell Damage By Toxic Smoke Constituents.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$457,267.00
Summary
People retrieved from burning buildings or other hazardous situations involving fires are often at risk of death due to the effects of inhaled smoke. This reflects the presence of some very toxic substances in smoke that are products of the combustion of wood, vegetation and synthetic building materials. The most toxic substance present within smoke is acrolein, a very reactive chemical that attacks cells in the lining of the lung. This can result in a life-threatening condition known as oedema, ....People retrieved from burning buildings or other hazardous situations involving fires are often at risk of death due to the effects of inhaled smoke. This reflects the presence of some very toxic substances in smoke that are products of the combustion of wood, vegetation and synthetic building materials. The most toxic substance present within smoke is acrolein, a very reactive chemical that attacks cells in the lining of the lung. This can result in a life-threatening condition known as oedema, where the lung is flooded with fluids and is unable to perform its respiratory function. At present, the clinical approaches used to treat smoke inhalation victims are mostly directed against offsetting the symptoms of lung injury and do not take into account the role of lung cell injury by toxic substances in smoke such as acrolein. This project will provide a better understanding of the chemical events underlying the injury caused by smoke to lung cells, and also into possible drug strategies for treating victims of smoke inhalation. The work will explore the ability of a range of compounds that are chemically related to a blood pressure-lowering medicine (hydralazine) to protect lung cells against such smoke-induced damage. The work will employ a range of modern research techniques to understand the events occurring in lung cells exposed to smoke. Once this is understood, these approaches will be used to test the various drug compounds for their abilities to prevent the death of cells exposed to smoke or its toxic constutuent acrolein. This work will yield new information on a series of compounds concerning their ability to block the toxicity of smoke to lung cells. The goal is to identify one or two molecules that can be carried forward to testing in smoke-exposed animals.Read moreRead less
The health effects of electronic cigarette use are virtually unknown. They have only recently been introduced into widespread use, and as such their effects on human health will not be known for many years. We will use our expertise in exposure models and health outcome measurement to provide timely hard-data on their potential to impact health – data that are urgently required to guide policy makers in this area.
Reducing Tobacco Harm During Pregnancy, Infancy And Early Childhood Among Groups With High Smoking Prevalence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$346,449.00
Summary
This research will contribute to the evidence base for reducing harm from tobacco during pregnancy, infancy and early childhood, among groups with high smoking prevalence. It will: generate evidence on a program to help pregnant Indigenous women quit smoking; develop tools and evidence to support implementation of smoking cessation guidelines in public antenatal services; and explore people’s understanding regarding protecting children from harms of passive smoking at home.
Understanding The Impacts Of Vaporised Nicotine Products On Smoking In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,603,159.00
Summary
Vaporised nicotine products (e.g., e-cigarettes) are widely used in Australia, even though possession of the nicotine fluid without a permit is an offence. They are primarily used by smokers as a means of quitting. However, there is concern about their potential attractiveness and uptake by non-smokers. The aim is to identify how these products might be used to both maximise smoking cessation and minimise nicotine use, especially smoking uptake by non-smokers.
Elucidation Of The Aetiology Of Airway Remodelling In COPD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$626,979.00
Summary
This project grant aims to discover how cigarette smoking induces the development of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by understanding how smoking drives the key pathological charges in the airways, airway remodelling. Our research to-date has found that cells from people with COPD have an hightened response to cigarette smoke and we aim to uncover the molecular basis of this aberrant response.
Improving Strategies To Support Pregnant Aboriginal Women To Quit Smoking
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,891.00
Summary
The overall objective of this project is to produce new knowledge about effective strategies for decreasing the smoking rates in pregnant Aboriginal women. The studies aim to: 1. Understand pregnant Aboriginal smokers attitudes to and experiences of using quit smoking methods 2. Understand what behaviour change techniques may be useful for pregnant Aboriginal women who smoke 3. Explore clinicians’ knowledge, attitudes and practices of providing behavioural counselling and nicotine replacemen