Asthma is a major health problem for the Australian community. Recent studies have shown increasing numbers of people of all ages are developing asthma. Despite extensive asthma research and the development of new asthma drugs, asthma remains a leading cause of ill- health, especially in children. In many cases the deterioration in asthma symptoms is related to a cold or flu like illness, Viruses are the leading cause of these infections and are known to make asthma symptoms worse. How they do t ....Asthma is a major health problem for the Australian community. Recent studies have shown increasing numbers of people of all ages are developing asthma. Despite extensive asthma research and the development of new asthma drugs, asthma remains a leading cause of ill- health, especially in children. In many cases the deterioration in asthma symptoms is related to a cold or flu like illness, Viruses are the leading cause of these infections and are known to make asthma symptoms worse. How they do this is not completely understood. Asthma causes a unique type of inflammation in the airways, which is present in even mild asthma and can be controlled by medication. Viruses also cause inflammation by infecting the lungs. Viruses can cause severe attacks of asthma even when asthma appears controlled on medication. The ways in which virus infections do this, are not established. By understanding how this happens we may be able to design effective treatment for this problem. Our initial results indicate that virus induced asthma is different to asthma that is triggered by allergens. We plan to investigate what effect certain viruses have on the lungs of people with asthma by measuring cells and chemicals that are present in sputum. We will use recently developed technologies to accurately see what viruses are infecting these people, and then evaluate the role of treatment of virus induced asthma. This study will shed important light on potential causes of unstable asthma and the role that viral infection plays in this. It may also lead to new opportunities to develop treatments that are more effective in preventing and controlling asthma.Read moreRead less
Airway Inflammation In Allergic Aspergillosis: Characterisation, Immunologic Mechanisms And Treatment.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$242,562.00
Summary
Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungus that commonly occurs in our community. In some people with asthma, this fungus causes the asthma to become severe and chronic. It may also be associated with a severe form of lung destruction called bronchiectasis. There is little known about the chemicals produced by the body which contribute to inflammation in this condition. Similarly, it is not known why only some people with asthma develop an allergic disease to this fungus. In this project we will examine ....Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungus that commonly occurs in our community. In some people with asthma, this fungus causes the asthma to become severe and chronic. It may also be associated with a severe form of lung destruction called bronchiectasis. There is little known about the chemicals produced by the body which contribute to inflammation in this condition. Similarly, it is not known why only some people with asthma develop an allergic disease to this fungus. In this project we will examine 2 important inflammation chemicals (called cytokines) to examine what their role is in aspergillus associated allergy. We will also examine 2 genetic markers to establish whether these predispose to people developing allergy to aspergillus. The treatment of aspergillus lung disease is also problematic. In this project we will examine whether a new medication called itraconazole is effective in removing this fungus from the airway and improving asthma.Read moreRead less