Next Generation Of Medical Devices And Diagnostics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,738,220.00
Summary
This Investigator Project will deliver innovative technologies that improve patient wellbeing, make significant economic impact and contribute to answering complex biological questions. This will happen via delivering breakthrough technologies to prevent infections and diagnose diseases – two area that currently require substantial technological advances. In addition to helping patients and clinicians, the project will also deliver solid body of new knowledge that is currently missing.
Cigaratte Smoke Exposure Suppresses Alveolar Macrophage Responses To Lipopolysaccharide By Modifying The TLR4 Pathway
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$506,283.00
Summary
Long term cigarette smoke exposure is a major risk factor for cancer, heart disease and emphysema. A less known fact about smoke exposure is that it also leaves people susceptible to respiratory infections by i) physically damaging the lung lining and ii) suppressing cells responsible for coordinating the lungs defence system. This project will identify how smoke exposure blocks the early response to infection by the immune system and discovery novel ways of restoring normal lung defences.
Viral Infection And Exacerbations Of Asthma During Pregnancy: Characteristics, Mechanisms And Consequences
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$465,210.00
Summary
At least 12% of pregnant women in Australia have asthma and more than half of these women will experience an acute attack during pregnancy. This puts the fetus at risk of poor outcomes such as low birth weight or premature birth, which has a significant impact on their health in both the short term and long term. The mechanisms which lead to exacerbations of asthma during pregnancy are unknown, but have implications for the treatment of pregnant women with asthma. In non-pregnant adults, the maj ....At least 12% of pregnant women in Australia have asthma and more than half of these women will experience an acute attack during pregnancy. This puts the fetus at risk of poor outcomes such as low birth weight or premature birth, which has a significant impact on their health in both the short term and long term. The mechanisms which lead to exacerbations of asthma during pregnancy are unknown, but have implications for the treatment of pregnant women with asthma. In non-pregnant adults, the majority of asthma exacerbations are caused by viral infection and it is likely that a similar mechanism operates in pregnant women with asthma. No previous studies have identified the viruses responsible for exacerbations of asthma during pregnancy. We currently have a promising lead in this area, with data showing that one third of pregnant women with asthma have a severe exacerbation of their asthma requiring medical intervention during pregnancy, and a large proportion of these are likely to be due to viral infection. We propose that during pregnancy, pregnant women with asthma are more susceptible to viral infection than pregnant women without asthma. We also suggest that women with asthma will have more severe viral infections during pregnancy, and that these will contribute to the majority of acute asthma attacks during pregnancy. This project will determine the rate of infection among pregnant women with and without asthma and determine the viruses responsible for acute attacks of asthma during pregnancy. The study will also explore the inflammatory mechanisms which predispose women to viral infection. These results will contribute to a greater understanding of the mechanisms leading to exacerbations of asthma during pregnancy and will be used to develop more appropriate asthma monitoring and treatment strategies for pregnant women, which will have health benefits for both mother and baby.Read moreRead less
Regulation Of Extrinsic Death Pathways In Neutrophils
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$84,656.00
Summary
During infection, the lifespan of neutrophils normally increases despite an abundance of neutrophil death signals in inflamed tissues. Altered lifespan of neutrophils has been reported in diseases associated with influenza, Streptococcus, RSV and cytomegalovirus infection. Our research has discovered a relationship between the two dominant death pathways in neutrophils, indicating that alterations in one death pathway protect the neutrophil from death signals from the second death pathway.
Treatment Of Cerebral Palsy - An Experimental Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,544.00
Summary
Cerebral palsy is characterised by disordered movement evident early in life leading to lifelong disability. The motor disorder arises from an abnormality within the white-matter of the brain that is non-progressive and is identifiable soon after birth. In humans and experimental models of fetal infection there is an increase in markers of inflammation. We will use induce ovine fetal infection and white matter injury to examine if anti-inflammatory treatments can prevent fetal brain damage.
Characteristics And Mechanisms Of Persistent Asthma After Common Cold Virus Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$407,750.00
Summary
Asthma is a major health problem for the Australian community. Recent studies have shown increasing numbers of people of all ages are developing asthma, and despite a fall in asthma deaths, large number of people continue to have severe attacks requiring hospitalisation. In most cases the deterioration in asthma symptoms is related to a cold or flu like illness. Viruses are the leading cause of these infections and are known to make asthma symptoms worse. We have identified how viruses do this b ....Asthma is a major health problem for the Australian community. Recent studies have shown increasing numbers of people of all ages are developing asthma, and despite a fall in asthma deaths, large number of people continue to have severe attacks requiring hospitalisation. In most cases the deterioration in asthma symptoms is related to a cold or flu like illness. Viruses are the leading cause of these infections and are known to make asthma symptoms worse. We have identified how viruses do this by triggering a type of inflammation in the airways. We have also found that after a severe attack of asthma some people do not recover completely. They appear to have persistent problems, and in some cases the virus can still be isolated from the airways. How and why this occurs is not known. We are seeking to understand this problem and describe how it affects people with asthma. We plan to investigate what effect certain viruses have on the lungs of people with asthma by measuring cells and chemicals that are present in sputum. We will use recently developed technologies to accurately see what viruses are infecting these people, and how the immune system is working. This study will shed important light on potential causes of unstable asthma and the role that viral infection plays in this. It may also lead to new opportunities to develop treatments that are more effective in preventing and controlling asthma.Read moreRead less
How The Immune Response Can Affect Influenza Virus And Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$333,964.00
Summary
A strong immune response is essential for protection against viral infections. However, in some circumstances a strong immune response against viruses can actually further aggravate disease. In addition, an anti-viral immune response can trigger asthma attacks in allergic individuals. This research thus seeks to understand and therefore mitigate the potentially detrimental role of inflammation in influenza virus infections and asthma.
Quorum Sensing Signal Molecule Modulation Of Immunity: Role In Host Responses To P. Aeruginosa Lung Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$251,014.00
Summary
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium that causes serious infections in humans, particularly those with Cystic Fibrosis, or who are immunocompromised, suffering serious burn injuries or have long term catheters. This study will investigate how P. aeruginosa may be able to increase its virulence by producing molecules known as Quorum Sensing Signal Molecules (QSSM). We believe the production of these QSSMs by this bacterium enables them to affect how the host responds by affecting their immune sy ....Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium that causes serious infections in humans, particularly those with Cystic Fibrosis, or who are immunocompromised, suffering serious burn injuries or have long term catheters. This study will investigate how P. aeruginosa may be able to increase its virulence by producing molecules known as Quorum Sensing Signal Molecules (QSSM). We believe the production of these QSSMs by this bacterium enables them to affect how the host responds by affecting their immune system. We will be investigating how this QSSM may suppress immunity and what influence this has on both the severity of infection and the potential for development of chronic infection. The study will first of all determine where the QSSM exerts its effects (that is, can it escape from the site of infection to affect other host sites) and this will direct us in how we may learn more about the way it can affect the host during an infection. We will investigate the direct affects of QSSM on acute and chronic types of P. aeruginosa lung infection and then from this, determine if the outcome exacerbates a subsequent infection. The work is significant in that a knowledge and understanding of these virulence factors will assist in the design of better therapeutic and prophylactic strategies for both prevention of infection in susceptible individuals and treatment of those that suffer from chronic infection.Read moreRead less
Inflammasome Function In Gastrointestinal Immunity And Inflammation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,116.00
Summary
The immune system in the gut provides a vital defence against microbes. If these defences are ineffective we become infected leading to gastroenteritis, a major cause of death in the third world and hospitalisation in developed countries. Conversely, excessive or inappropriate activation of these defences can cause inflammatory disease. This project will investigate microbial detection in the gut, and aims to discover new, more effective ways to treat gastrointestinal infection and inflammation.
Ocular Implant For The Treatment Of Bacterial Endophthalmitis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$483,446.00
Summary
We seek to develop an ocular implant for the treatment of bacterial endophthalmitis. The implant will be a small device that can be administered directly to the affected ocular cavity to release an antibiotic in a controlled manner to clear any infection. The implant will erode and leave no residue. It will be produced from a novel drug-polymer conjugate technology that allows polymer devices that comprise >50% drug to be made.