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News & Events
Switch on the immune system earlyFindings by Professor Pat Holt revealed researchers had been heading down the wrong path in their battle strategy against respiratory allergy and asthma.
News & Events
Overseas trip will help unlock the asthma puzzleOne in ten Australians have asthma and Dr Kimberley Wang from The Kids Research Institute Australia is on a mission to find out what causes it.
News & Events
Volunteers needed for world-first trial to prevent asthmaAustralian scientists have today launched a world first research trial into a treatment that could prevent asthma in high risk children.
Research
Respiratory infection- and asthma-prone, low vaccine responder children demonstrate distinct mononuclear cell DNA methylation pathwaysnfants with frequent viral and bacterial respiratory infections exhibit compromised immunity to routine immunizations. They are also more likely to develop chronic respiratory diseases in later childhood. This study investigated the feasibility of epigenetic profiling to reveal endotype-specific molecular pathways with potential for early identification and immuno-modulation.
Research
ACE2 expression is elevated in airway epithelial cells from older and male healthy individuals but reduced in asthmaCOVID-19 is complicated by acute lung injury, and death in some individuals. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2 that requires the ACE2 receptor and serine proteases to enter AEC. We determined what factors are associated with ACE2 expression particularly in patients with asthma and COPD. We obtained lower AEC from 145 people from two independent cohorts, aged 2-89 years, Newcastle (n = 115) and Perth (n = 30), Australia. The Newcastle cohort was enriched with people with asthma (n = 37) and COPD (n = 38). Gene expression for ACE2 and other genes potentially associated with SARS-CoV-2 cell entry was assessed by qPCR, and protein expression was confirmed with immunohistochemistry on endobronchial biopsies and cultured AEC.
Research
Childhood vaccination and allergy: A systematic review and meta-analysisAs the rise in prevalence of allergic diseases worldwide corresponds in time with increasing infant vaccination, it has been hypothesized that childhood vaccination may increase the risk of allergic disease. We aimed to synthesize the literature on the association between childhood vaccination and allergy.
Research
Identifying pediatric lung disease: A comparison of forced oscillation technique outcomesThese findings suggest the utility of specific FOT outcomes is dependent on the respiratory disease being assessed
Research
Developmental regulation of type 1 and type 3 interferon production and risk for infant infections and asthma developmentType 1 and 3 interferon response capacity appears strongly developmentally constrained at birth
Research
Impaired airway epithelial cell responses from children with asthma to rhinoviral infectionHuman rhinovirus infection delays repair and inhibits apoptotic processes in epithelial cells from non-asthmatic and asthmatic children
Research
Basophil counts in PBMC populations during childhood acute wheeze/asthma are associated with future exacerbationsOur findings suggest that the proportion of degranulated basophils can also be associated with recurrent exacerbations