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LPS binding protein and activation signatures are upregulated during asthma exacerbations in childrenAsthma exacerbations in children are associated with respiratory viral infection and atopy, resulting in systemic immune activation and infiltration of immune cells into the airways. The gene networks driving the immune activation and subsequent migration of immune cells into the airways remains incompletely understood. Cellular and molecular profiling of PBMC was employed on paired samples obtained from atopic asthmatic children during acute virus-associated exacerbations and later during convalescence.
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Single cell transcriptomics reveals cell type specific features of developmentally regulated responses to lipopolysaccharide between birth and 5 yearsHuman perinatal life is characterized by a period of extraordinary change during which newborns encounter abundant environmental stimuli and exposure to potential pathogens. To meet such challenges, the neonatal immune system is equipped with unique functional characteristics that adapt to changing conditions as development progresses across the early years of life, but the molecular characteristics of such adaptations remain poorly understood.
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Sex-Specific Environmental Impacts on Initiation and Progression of Multiple SclerosisThe immunological mechanisms that contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) differ between males and females. Females are 2-3 times more likely to develop MS compared to males, however the reason for this discrepancy is unknown. Once MS is established, there is a more inflammatory yet milder form of disease in females whereas males generally suffer from more severe disease and faster progression, neural degradation, and disability.
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Immunoinflammatory responses to febrile lower respiratory infections in infants display uniquely complex/intense transcriptomic profilesthe association between infant LRTI and risk for persistent wheeze/asthma in this cohort is generally stronger for fLRTIs than for other infection categories
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Metabolic dysfunction induced by a high-fat diet modulates hematopoietic stem and myeloid progenitor cells in brown adipose tissue of miceBrown adipose tissue (BAT) may be an important metabolic regulator of whole-body glucose. While important roles have been ascribed to macrophages in regulating metabolic functions in BAT, little is known of the roles of other immune cells subsets, particularly dendritic cells (DCs). Eating a high-fat diet may compromise the development of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs)-which give rise to DCs-in bone marrow, with less known of its effects in BAT. We have previously demonstrated that ongoing exposure to low-dose ultraviolet radiation (UVR) significantly reduced the 'whitening' effect of eating a high-fat diet upon interscapular (i) BAT of mice.
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OMIP 076: High-dimensional immunophenotyping of murine T-cell, B-cell, and antibody secreting cell subsetsThere is now considerable evidence demonstrating that both prenatal and postnatal exposure to particular classes of microbial stimuli can provide beneficial signals during early life immune development, resulting in the protection against future inflammatory disease.
The Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology team's overall research vision is targeted towards understanding immunological development during early life.
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Epigenetic changes underpinning allergen sensitization: a twin-based studyWe are studying immune cells from identical twins of which one suffers and one does not suffer from allergic disease to identify specific mechanisms that may play important roles in disease development.
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Immunobiology & Immunotherapeutic ProgramListed are The Kids Research Institute Australia research teams involved in our Immunity and Inflammation Program. This program sits under the Early Environment research theme.