Exploration Of Exposures Associated With Bedding That Are Risks For Childhood Allergy And Asthma Symptoms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$263,500.00
Summary
Asthma prevalence in Australia has doubled in the last 20 years, with 1 in 4 children now affected. House dust mites are probably the single most important allergen associated with asthma. The prevalence of mite allergy is linked to exposure, and such allergy when combined with high exposure, is a potent risk factor for asthma exacerbations. The current international advice for managing mite-allergic asthma, strongly advocates the use of bedding encasings as the best way to reduce exposure. Howe ....Asthma prevalence in Australia has doubled in the last 20 years, with 1 in 4 children now affected. House dust mites are probably the single most important allergen associated with asthma. The prevalence of mite allergy is linked to exposure, and such allergy when combined with high exposure, is a potent risk factor for asthma exacerbations. The current international advice for managing mite-allergic asthma, strongly advocates the use of bedding encasings as the best way to reduce exposure. However, three recent major trials using encasings and a meta-analysis of earlier trials all fail to show a clinical benefit. One of the applicants (ET) recently showed, using expertise in measuring personal exposure, that these encasings, as used, fail to significantly reduce aeroallergen exposure. By contrast, 3 recent Australian studies, involving the applicants, AK, ALP and NG showed that feather bedding compared to synthetic bedding, was strongly protective for asthma - the opposite of public advice. The suggested mechanisms involve reduced exposure to mite allergens, or altered exposure to bacterial endotoxin, but persuasive experimental support is lacking. We also propose a novel hypothesis that feather exposure may induce allergic 'tolerance'. Currently there is a lack of certainty about valid approaches to prevent asthma, and the Global Initiative for Asthma has described the need to understand mechanisms and improve interventions as urgent. This project is an ideal opportunity to combine the expertise of the CIA (ET) in measuring airborne exposures (mite, endotoxin, proteins) with that of the others who have expertise in children's asthma, and who are already involved in two large clinical trails involving different bedding and allergen avoidance. Our measurements of these bedding exposures and their clinical outcomes will provide, for the first time, a quantitative basis to refine public health allergen-based interventions to prevent and manage asthma.Read moreRead less
Mechanism of action of an anti-inflammatory compound which targets alternatively activated macrophages. The project will study the mechanism by which a novel anti-inflammatory compound, developed by our commercial partner, suppresses the activity of a population of cells known as alternatively activated macrophages. These cells play a key role in driving allergic inflammation, including the inflammation associated with asthma.
Development of microbial bioproducts for the suppression of inflammation. Asthma and inflammatory diseases are serious health problems that result from excessive inflammation. Exposure to bacteria may reduce inflammation. This project will identify the bacterial components that reduce inflammation and develop them into new anti-inflammatory therapies for asthma.