Preclinical Development Of TLR Signalling Inhibitors For Prevention Of Preterm Labour And Fetal Inflammatory Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$690,821.00
Summary
Preterm birth affects 8% of Australian births and is a major cause of infant and child health problems. Therapies to prevent or delay prematurity are urgently required. This study will investigate new drugs that suppress the triggers of preterm labour. We will evaluate drug effects in mice and human placental tissue, to demonstrate safety and fetal protection from inflammatory injury that occurs with prematurity. Successful completion of the study is expected to lead to clinical trials in women.
Active Lung Disease In Survivors Of Preterm Birth? Can We Treat It?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$612,862.00
Summary
More than 15 million babies are born preterm each year. Those that survive face a lifetime of ongoing breathing problems and lung function that worsens through childhood. Our study will work out how inflammation in the lungs contributes to these ongoing breathing problems during childhood. We will also look at how the exhaled breath of preterm children is different to term children and test how treatment with an inhaled anti-inflammatory medicine changes the lung disease in preterm children.
Priming The Maternal Immune Response To Resist Inflammatory Disorders Of Pregnancy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$920,972.00
Summary
Preeclampsia and preterm birth are common conditions affecting >15 million pregnancies annually. An underlying cause is the mother’s immune response, which can react adversely to the fetus causing an inflammatory reaction. This project seeks to find ways to strengthen the maternal immune system beginning before conception. The work will provide insights upon which to advise intending parents and will inform development of new treatments options to protect susceptible women.
Mechanisms Underlying Impaired Neuroplasticity In Adolescents Born Preterm
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$528,449.00
Summary
Preterm birth can lead to learning and motor deficits. We have preliminary evidence that these deficits last into adolescence and are due to a limited ability of the brain to reorganise (plasticity). We will confirm and characterise the learning/motor deficits seen in adolescents born preterm and explore if impaired plasticity is responsible. This project will provide vital information for the development of novel interventions to help children born prematurely to achieve best outcomes.
The Burden Of Late Preterm Birth On Brain Development And 2 Year Outcomes – A Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$838,690.00
Summary
80% of preterm babies are born from 32-36 weeks’ gestation, and are late preterm (LPT). LPT children have more learning problems, but why this occurs is unknown. This study aims to understand the effect of LPT birth on brain development. We will do brain scans at term and assess development at 2 years of age of 200 LPT and 200 full-term children. We expect LPT babies will have subtle alterations in brain development compared with term controls which will be associated with delayed development.
Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating bowel condition afflicting almost 1 in 10 of very preterm babies. About a third of babies with NEC do not survive. Currently, there is no cure. We propose the use of stem-like cells from the human placenta as a targeted therapy for NEC, working by minimising gut damage and accelerating gut repair.
Executive Dysfunction And Brain Development In Very Preterm 13-year-olds - A Longitudinal MRI Study.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$738,656.00
Summary
An area of concern for very preterm children is executive function (i.e. skills used for problem solving), which is related to educational problems, behavioural issues and social difficulties. In very preterm children this study will 1) determine if executive function problems remain stable, worsen, or improve with age; 2) look for markers for these problems from infant brain scans; and 3) examine how executive function difficulties are related to brain re-organisation.
Creatine Supplementation During Pregnancy As A Means Of Improving Outcomes From Preterm Birth.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$479,085.00
Summary
Preterm birth results in significant health problems for babies, especially males who are more likely to die. We have shown that creatine added to the mother’s diet protects the fetus against damage caused by oxygen lack at the end of pregnancy. We will now determine if creatine can benefit babies born prematurely. We have an established model of preterm birth in lambs in which we will address these issues, and expect to show that creatine improves survival and the health of the preterm neonate.
Amniotic Exosomes - Nanomedicine For Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$647,058.00
Summary
Extremely premature babies are at serious risk of developing a life threatening chronic lung disease known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. This is expensive to treat and even babies who survive often end up with lifelong complications. Our team believes that nanoparticles released by placental stem cells have the ability to reverse the disease and that this can be administered without complex medical tools so that parents can administer it themselves after discharge.
Point-of-care Diagnosis Of Sexually Transmitted Infections To Improve Maternal And Neonatal Health Outcomes In Resource-limited, High-burden Settings
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,444,489.00
Summary
We will undertake the first effectiveness trial of novel, newly-available, easy to use, and highly accurate point-of-care tests for the diagnosis of curable sexually transmitted and genital infections (STIs) in pregnancy. The trial will establish whether point-of-care STI testing and treatment improves pregnancy outcomes compared to routine antenatal care in developing countries. The trial will also investigate the implementation requirements, costs and acceptability of this strategy.