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Helga Mikkelsen

Project Manager, Respiratory Health

The Australian Respiratory Early Surveillance Team for Cystic Fibrosis (AREST CF) program has grown from an early surveillance program initiated in Perth in 1999, which performed bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to evaluate pulmonary infection and inflammation, as well as infant lung function testing.

COMBAT CF: A phase 3 multi-centre randomized placebo-controlled study of azithromycin in the primary prevention of radiologically-defined bronchiectasis in infants with cystic fibrosis.

A phase 3 multi-centre randomized placebo-controlled study of azithromycin in the primary prevention of radiologically-defined bronchiectasis in infants with cystic fibrosis

SHIP CT: A Phase 3 randomised, double-blind, controlled trial of inhaled 7% hypertonic saline versus 0.9% isotonic saline for 48 weeks in patients with Cystic Fibrosis at 3-6 years of age in parallel with the North American SHIP clinical trial.

SHIP-CT, led by Professor Stephen Stick, Director of the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre at The Kids, is a unique study in preschool-aged children (from 3-6 years of age) with CF using images of the lung from chest CT scans as the main outcome measure.

SYNERGY CF: Getting the best start to life - preventing early cystic fibrosis lung disease by solving the host-inflammation infection conundrum

Cystic fibrosis related progressive lung disease characterised by inflammation and infection commences soon after birth.

Conservation of gene expression patterns between the amniotic and nasal epithelium at birth

Amniotic epithelial cells are fetal-derived stem cells, capable of differentiating into all three germ layers, including mature epithelial cell populations. Here, we hypothesised that the amniotic epithelium might serve as a surrogate tissue source for investigating transcriptional profiles in the respiratory epithelium of newborns.

A phase I clinical trial assessing the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of inhaled ethanol in humans as a potential treatment for respiratory tract infections

Current treatments for respiratory infections are severely limited. Ethanol's unique properties including antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and surfactant-like activity make it a promising candidate treatment for respiratory infections if it can be delivered safely to the airway by inhalation. Here, we explore the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of inhaled ethanol in a phase I clinical trial.

From hype to hope: Considerations in conducting robust microbiome science

Microbiome science has been one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving research fields in the past two decades. Breakthroughs in technologies including DNA sequencing have meant that the trillions of microbes (particularly bacteria) inhabiting human biological niches (particularly the gut) can be profiled and analysed in exquisite detail.

Bile Acids and Microbiota Interplay in Pancreatic Cancer

Evidence suggests the involvement of the microbiota, including oral, intra-tumoral and gut, in pancreatic cancer progression and response to therapy. The gut microbiota modulates the bile acid pool and is associated with maintaining host physiology. Studies have shown that the bile acid/gut microbiota axis is dysregulated in pancreatic cancer.

Bile acids in the lower airways is associated with airway microbiota changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an observational study

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disorder with a high degree of interindividual variability. Gastrointestinal dysfunction is common in patients with COPD and has been proposed to influence the clinical progression of the disease. Using the presence of bile acid(s) (BA) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid as a marker of gastric aspiration, we evaluated the relationships between BAs, clinical outcomes and bacterial lung colonisation.