Pneumovirus Infection In Infancy Affects The Development Of Life-long Adaptive Immunity.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,469.00
Summary
Respiratory syncytial virus is the most important cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection (RTI) in young children worldwide. Hospital admission rates in Western societies for RTIs are around 3% for children younger than 1 year. A vaccine to RSV is not yet available and repeat infections occur thoughout life, suggesting that the immune response does not develop correctly. In this project we are exploring the mechanisms that underpin disease development and promote incomplete immunity.
Regulation Of Subcellular Localisation Of Respiratory Syncytial Virus M Protein: Implications For Pathology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$580,195.00
Summary
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of viral pneumonia in infants and the elderly, causing more deaths in winter than influenza. We have observed RSV M protein in the nucleus of infected host cells where it inhibits host cell transcription. We propose to investigate the regulation of nuclear localisation of M by phosphorylation and binding to cellular factors and its importance to RSV pathogenesis. The results will relate strongly to future drug and vaccine development.
A New Non-invasive Diagnostic Technique Based On Detection Of Exhaled Respiratory Pathogens.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$179,300.00
Summary
We developed a special collection mask and showed that the breath of people with colds or flu contains a tiny amount of virus. Currently, diagnostic samples are collected by putting a tube into the airways - this is very uncomfortable. Our masks may provide a new and more comfortable way to diagnose lung infections. We want to build better masks and ways to detect viruses and bacteria to test out this method. This may create a new test that will improve diagnosis and treatment.
Evolution Of Airway Function And Inflammation In Early Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,447.00
Summary
Our goal is to evaluate if lung function can identify the onset of early lung disease in infants with cystic fibrosis (CF). We aim to evaluate: - Changes in lung function in infants with CF. - Associations between lung function and lung inflammation and infection. - Links between infant lung function and disease severity at 2 years of age. The long term aims are to determine how useful lung function will be in trials of novel treatments for the early treatment of CF.
Neonatal Immunization With Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine In Papua New Guinea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,181,966.00
Summary
One million children die every year of pneumococcal (Pnc) disease, the majority in the third world. Many die in early infancy and babies may benefit from immunisation with a Pnc conjugate vaccine (PrevenarTM) at birth. The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Insatiate of Medical Research; Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and the Department of Paediatrics, University of Western Australia, will collaborate to closely examine the safety of this approach, particularly with regard to impact on the dev ....One million children die every year of pneumococcal (Pnc) disease, the majority in the third world. Many die in early infancy and babies may benefit from immunisation with a Pnc conjugate vaccine (PrevenarTM) at birth. The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Insatiate of Medical Research; Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and the Department of Paediatrics, University of Western Australia, will collaborate to closely examine the safety of this approach, particularly with regard to impact on the development of immunity and response to other vaccines given to infants. This study will also provide a unique opportunity for training of PNG and Australian scientists in both countries; transfer state-of-the-art immunological technology and stimulate further collaborations on respiratory infections in the region.Read moreRead less
Defining Regional Lung Mechanics To Improve Lung Protective Ventilation Strategies In Newborn Infants
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$287,321.00
Summary
Over 3000 newly born infants require mechanical ventilation in Australia every year. The majority are very premature infants. About 30% of ventilated infants develop serious ventilator induced lung injury. Minimising such lung injury with improved techniques of ventilation which can protect the lung from injury will reduce the considerable short and long term health burden of this population.
Randomised Controlled Trial Of Therapeutic Pulmonary Lavage In Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$182,550.00
Summary
Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a serious respiratory disease of full term infants, which can lead to very severe respiratory failure. It is caused by the inhalation of meconium, the secretion of the fetal intestine, into the lung at or prior to delivery. As a result, the airways and air sacs within the lung are damaged, leading to difficulty with breathing and poor oxygen levels. About one-third of all infants with MAS require mechanical ventilation in the first days of life, and are ofte ....Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a serious respiratory disease of full term infants, which can lead to very severe respiratory failure. It is caused by the inhalation of meconium, the secretion of the fetal intestine, into the lung at or prior to delivery. As a result, the airways and air sacs within the lung are damaged, leading to difficulty with breathing and poor oxygen levels. About one-third of all infants with MAS require mechanical ventilation in the first days of life, and are often extremely difficult to manage. At present, the main treatments given to a ventilated infant with severe MAS are supportive, rather than curative. Lung cleansing procedures are not part of routine care in this condition, even though removal of meconium from the lung may reduce the amount of damage that occurs. This project is a randomised controlled trial of a lung cleansing procedure called lung lavage in ventilated infants with severe MAS. During the lung lavage, a quantity of cleansing fluid containing a natural substance called surfactant is introduced into the lung, and then removed by suctioning. This procedure cleanses the lung of some of the meconium, and in preliminary testing, appears to be safe and well-tolerated even in the sickest infants. In the proposed trial, we will randomly allocate ventilated infants with severe MAS to receive either a lung lavage procedure, or routine care. This will take place within 24 hours of birth. We are looking to see whether the lavage procedure shortens the duration of ventilation, oxygen therapy or hospitalisation. Because there are only a small number of ventilated infants with MAS at any one centre per year, we will involve as many Australian neonatal intensive care units as we can in the study. We aim to enrol 66 infants in the trial, of whom half will receive lavage therapy.Read moreRead less
Mechanical Mobility Of The Thorax For Continuous Determination Of Lung Gas Volume
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$165,000.00
Summary
Percussion is a valuable clinical method for physical examination of parts of the body. A sharp tap (impulsive force) is applied to the body wall and the sound radiated in response is observed. This sound may be dull (over liver) or stony dull (pleural effusion), or resonant (over normal lung) or hyper-resonant (over bowel). While the variation in radiated sound is not fully understood, it is apparent that the presence of gas, which is highly compliant, increases mobility of the overlying tissue ....Percussion is a valuable clinical method for physical examination of parts of the body. A sharp tap (impulsive force) is applied to the body wall and the sound radiated in response is observed. This sound may be dull (over liver) or stony dull (pleural effusion), or resonant (over normal lung) or hyper-resonant (over bowel). While the variation in radiated sound is not fully understood, it is apparent that the presence of gas, which is highly compliant, increases mobility of the overlying tissue and allows it to resonate; where the sub-tissue is largely fluid, tissue mobility is low and the percussive sound is dull. Percussion is useful for examining the adult chest and lung, but cannot for example be applied in infant intensive care as only limited impulsive force can be used, and the adult finger, which is both a coupling device and sounding board, is too large. As well, percussion requires skill and quiet conditions. Accordingly, we developed a device to measure mobility of the chest and other tissues in real time. The VibroPulse applies a known low-level force to the body surface and records the resultant velocity induced in the surface. The force is generated by a vibrating mass set in motion by an electromagnetic motor driven by pseudo-random noise. Tissue mobility, defined as velocity-force, is derived simultaneously across the frequency range, providing an easily interpreted quantitative output unaffected by ambient noise. This proposal has two aims we can achieve in 1 year: (1) to continue evaluating VibroPulse sensitivity to tissue composition, using symmetrical percussive sites on the human chest and abdomen that are dull on one side and resonant on the other, and the chest of anaesthetised animals with experimentally induced pneumothorax and lung collapse, two life-threatening conditions for which percussion is a key diagnostic method, and (2) to engineer a small device from our bulky prototype that is suitable for clinical use, in infants and adults.Read moreRead less
Generating And Applying Clinical Research To Improve The Outcomes Of Neonatal Intensive Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$568,892.00
Summary
Birth is a complex process and sometimes babies require help to make the transition to independent life. Professor Peter Davis is conducting research into how best to support this transition. This involves helping the lungs to work efficiently and supporting the changes in circulation of the blood to the brain and to the rest of the body. His work aims to quickly identify babies who need help and then provide better treatments to make sure they have the best chance of a healthy life.
Optimising Early Respiratory Support For Preterm Infants: The HIPSTER Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$696,791.00
Summary
Premature babies who need breathing support are often given ‘nasal continuous positive airway pressure’ (NCPAP) via large nasal prongs. It works well but is uncomfortable. A newer, popular support is ‘high flow’ (HF) which uses smaller nose prongs and may be more comfortable, but HF has not been well studied. The HIPSTER trial will compare these systems in 750 premature babies, at random half will have NCPAP, half will have HF. We will assess whether babies do equally well with each system.