Intestinal Adaptation Following Massive Small Intestinal Resection: Mechanisms And Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$256,980.00
Summary
Short bowel syndrome (SBS) remains a major clinical problem in paediatric and adult clinical practice. The Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition at the Royal Children's Hospital has gained recognition as a national centre of excellence for the management of infants and children with SBS and intestinal failure. Due to the significant personal and heath-care burden related to SBS there has been an urgent need to improve understanding about the process of intestinal adaptation follo ....Short bowel syndrome (SBS) remains a major clinical problem in paediatric and adult clinical practice. The Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition at the Royal Children's Hospital has gained recognition as a national centre of excellence for the management of infants and children with SBS and intestinal failure. Due to the significant personal and heath-care burden related to SBS there has been an urgent need to improve understanding about the process of intestinal adaptation following massive small bowel resection (MSBR) in order to develop new treatments aimed at improving clinical outcome for patients with SBS. Over the past 5 years we have developed a preclinical model for the study of intestinal adaptation in infants using the juvenile pig. Our recent studies in this model have revealed that elemental formula is inferior to whole protein formula suggesting that the current clinical recommendations need urgent re-evaluation. Using the preclinical model in this proposal, we aim to define the mechanisms underlying the adaptive response and evaluate novel therapies aimed at enhancing adaptation following MSBR. Supplementation of enteral feeds with bovine colostrum isolate resulted in normal growth in the preclinical model despite MSBR. In this proposal we plan to advance this observation for the first time to human clinical trials in infants with SBS. Even small gains in enteral tolerance during the early post-operative period may have a significant impact on morbidity and mortality of children with SBS due to parenteral-nutrition related liver disease and gut-related sepsis. This research proposal provides a unique link between studies aimed at providing the scientific basis for understanding the mechanisms of intestinal adaptation using an established preclinical model and translating the results of these studies onto human trials, taking advantage of the clinical expertise available in the management of children with SBS.Read moreRead less
Regulation Of Intestinal Stem Cells And Intestinal Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,018.00
Summary
How the small intestine grows is important for preterm babies and those with short bowel syndrome. This study investigates the mechanisms of growth in the normal situation and in animal model of short bowel syndrome. It investigates particular growth pathways that regulate growth and particularly that of intestinal stem cells.
A vitamin-sized capsule, containing gas sensors, is to be fully developed for assessing the state of health and diagnosing the diseases relevant to gastrointestinal tract. The capsule travels along the tract, transmitting information about the gas species generated by the microorganisms of the gut, which is closely associated with the health of the human under surveillance. The information will be invaluable for diagnostics and adjusting the diet to mitigate and cure the diseases of the guts.
Neuroimmune Interactions In Functional And Organic Gastrointestinal Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,180.00
Summary
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are chronic, incurable diseases of the lower gastrointestinal tract with unknown causes and poor treatment options. Both the immune and nervous systems are altered in GI disease, but have traditionally been studied in isolation. My research investigates how the neuro-immune axis is altered in these diseases, using animal models and human tissue samples to identify novel treatment options for these debilitating diseases.