Characterization Of Mast Cell Basophil Haematopoesis In Patients With Asthma And Drug Allergies.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$412,379.00
Summary
The major emphasis of this investigation is to analyse blood for specific cells thought to be implicated in allergic disease from patients undergoing allergic reactions to medications and in patients with asthma and other allergies. Certain cells in the circulation of these patients are thought to be involved in the clinical manifestation seen in patients with asthma and other allergies. These cells have certain characteristics and for the first time our laboratory has identified a particular ce ....The major emphasis of this investigation is to analyse blood for specific cells thought to be implicated in allergic disease from patients undergoing allergic reactions to medications and in patients with asthma and other allergies. Certain cells in the circulation of these patients are thought to be involved in the clinical manifestation seen in patients with asthma and other allergies. These cells have certain characteristics and for the first time our laboratory has identified a particular cell in the circulation of patients with asthma which we believe may be important in the pathogenesis of this condition. We propose to examine these cells in patients with asthma, those experiencing allergic reactions to drugs and other allergies and determine their characteristics and their growth responses to a number of growth factors which have been demonstrated to affect the growth of cells known as mast cells in the test tube. Once we have characterised these cells in terms of what particular proteins and other products they contain we will then try to correlate the number and type of cell with the clinical allergic state of the patient. Blood will be obtained from patients undergoing acute asthma and those in remission to determine if there is any specific relationship of these cells with acute allergic reactions. We will be also looking at how these cells regulate other physiological systems in the body, in particular possible explanations why patients that suffer acute allergic reactions develop significant drops in blood pressure. We can identify these cells with a specific antibody that we have used in our preliminary studies. This antibody binds the surface of these cells, however the specific protein to which this antibody binds has not been identified. We propose to identify this protein by using molecular biology techniques. These studies will provide us with important insights on the nature of these cells and may lead to new therapies.Read moreRead less
Molecular Dissection Of Allergen Sensitisation And Immunotherapy: Direct Application To Precision Medicine In Treatment Of Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,270,097.00
Summary
Asthma is a major global health burden with huge socioeconomic impact. Most asthmatic patients are allergic. Allergen immunotherapy is the only treatment to alter the natural disease course, but does not work in many treated patients, and robust laboratory biomarkers for patient selection and immune monitoring of treatment success are lacking. Therefore, allergen immunotherapy is not offered to most patients who then rely on medications indefinitely. This research will address these needs.