Prevention Of Pleural Adhesion Formation By Treatment With Growth Factors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$268,000.00
Summary
Damage to the lining of the chest and abdominal cavities and to cells covering the lungs and other internal organs by infection or surgery almost always results in the formation of adhesions. Adhesions are bridges of fibrous material between organs and the body wall. In the chest cavity they can prevent the effective drainage of fluids that build up during infection or after injury leading to deterioration of health and even death. In the abdominal cavity they are a major cause of intestinal obs ....Damage to the lining of the chest and abdominal cavities and to cells covering the lungs and other internal organs by infection or surgery almost always results in the formation of adhesions. Adhesions are bridges of fibrous material between organs and the body wall. In the chest cavity they can prevent the effective drainage of fluids that build up during infection or after injury leading to deterioration of health and even death. In the abdominal cavity they are a major cause of intestinal obstruction and female infertility. In Australia, adhesions affect 9,500 patients annually, accounting for 6% of all hospital readmissions at a cost of over $100 million. This project will use animal models to investigate the specific role of a growth factor called hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on the healing of the cells lining the internal body cavity and its effect on inhibiting adhesion formation. Using genetically manipulated mice, drug delivery and gene therapy approaches, the effect of changing the levels of HGF in tissues lining the internal body cavities on repair and adhesion formation will be assessed and mechanisms of action elucidated . A better understanding of the way cells lining these cavities heal and the factors that can improve the healing process, may lead to the development of novel therapies to prevent adhesion formation, which will benefit all future patients with chest cavity infections and those who undergo thoracic and abdominal surgery.Read moreRead less
Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a heart/lung machine that replaces blood CO2 with oxygen, giving organs a chance to rest after injury due to infection or trauma. It saved many lives in the swine flu outbreak. Blood moving across foreign surfaces causes inflammation, cell injury and a need for transfusions. This study aims to identify which part of the ECMO causes injury and how. This will to improve survival rates of the most severe forms of cardiac and respiratory disease.
Pressures Exerted On Upper Airway Walls By Surrounding Tissue Structures
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,500.00
Summary
The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSA effects both men and women but is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occurring in 5% of men over the age of 45 years. In the proposed studies we will examine the effect of the pressure in the tissues surrounding the throat on the ability of the throat to stay open a ....The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSA effects both men and women but is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occurring in 5% of men over the age of 45 years. In the proposed studies we will examine the effect of the pressure in the tissues surrounding the throat on the ability of the throat to stay open and allow breathing. The major outcome of the animal studies is increased knowledge concerning mechanisms whereby collapsing forces are applied to the upper airway. This will give insights into potential factors influencing upper airway collapse during sleep in OSA patients. Of particular importance will be our studies on the effects of jaw position on the pressure exerted on the walls of the throat since the use of an intra-oral device to hold the jaw forward during sleep is one of the treatments used to prevent throat blockage during sleep. The studies in humans will examine, for the first time, the notion that the mass (weight) of the neck has a direct effect on the severity of sleep disordered breathing. If neck mass has a substantive influence on sleep disordered breathing then strategies aimed at reducing neck mass (fat) may provide a new therapeutic approach to the management of OSA patients.Read moreRead less
Hydrostatic Pressure Distributions In Peri-pharyngeal Tissues : Impact On Upper Airway Patency
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$508,935.00
Summary
The obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSAHS affects both men and women but is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occurring in ~4% of men over the age of 45 years. In the proposed studies we will develop a computer model of the function of the throat during breathing. A particular focus of our mo ....The obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSAHS affects both men and women but is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occurring in ~4% of men over the age of 45 years. In the proposed studies we will develop a computer model of the function of the throat during breathing. A particular focus of our model will be the influence of the properties of the tissue that form the walls of the throat. Our goal is to construct a computer model that will be useful in identifying specific features of throat function that make people susceptble to the development of OSAHS. In this manner we hope to provide a tool that can be used to develop new approaches to the treatment and prevention of OSAHS.Read moreRead less