Case-control Study To Promote Oral Health In Asthmatic Children:Natural Dietary Strategies To Conserve Teeth Erosion
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$112,500.00
Summary
Asthmatic children are at risk of dental corrosion, from medications that shut off saliva. Saliva protects teeth from acids in soft drinks and stomach-acid reflux. Dentist, William George Young and Nutritionist, Peter Davies, at the University of Queensland study children’s teeth, diet and lifestyles for the best natural methods to promote oral health. They will counsel parents and children on diets that conserve the teeth from dental erosion and decay by salivary stimulation. Patients need to s ....Asthmatic children are at risk of dental corrosion, from medications that shut off saliva. Saliva protects teeth from acids in soft drinks and stomach-acid reflux. Dentist, William George Young and Nutritionist, Peter Davies, at the University of Queensland study children’s teeth, diet and lifestyles for the best natural methods to promote oral health. They will counsel parents and children on diets that conserve the teeth from dental erosion and decay by salivary stimulation. Patients need to self-manage their asthma and diets to avoid negative outcomes and costs in acute medical and dental therapy for these two chronic conditions.Read moreRead less
Spirometry And Asthma Management In Children And Adults In General Practice.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Measurement of airflow obstruction, as measured by spirometry, is a vital element in the management of people with asthma. This study aims to examine the potential benefits to patients of using spirometry in the management of asthma in children and adults.
Predictors And Consequences Of Allergies That Impact On Children Getting A Healthy Start To Life:a Prospective Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$893,559.00
Summary
Allergic diseases prevent Australian children getting a healthy start to life by causing long term illnesses. This group of diseases includes asthma, hay fever, eczema and food allergies. Half of all Australian children are born into families with a history of these conditions and these children are at increased risk. Some of these children develop allergies while the others do not. It is also known that allergic conditions change over time, but we have no information on causes of these changes. ....Allergic diseases prevent Australian children getting a healthy start to life by causing long term illnesses. This group of diseases includes asthma, hay fever, eczema and food allergies. Half of all Australian children are born into families with a history of these conditions and these children are at increased risk. Some of these children develop allergies while the others do not. It is also known that allergic conditions change over time, but we have no information on causes of these changes. For example some infants with eczema continue to have eczema or develop hay fever and asthma, while others do not. The aim of this study is to determine what factors cause allergies and what factors influence these changes. This will provide evidence to guide health policy and clinical practice. Looking at the different conditions in family members over time is a good way to answer these types of questions, because parents and siblings share similar exposures, but not all the same genes. This helps to disentangle the effects of the environment and genes. The Melbourne Atopic Cohort Study (MACS) is amongst the world�s major studies on the development of allergies. MACS commenced in 1991-94 by recruiting 620 babies prior to birth. Only infants born into families with a history of allergic disease were included. MACS is unique because all family members and the home environment were assessed at the time of birth of the child. These children have been followed regularly over the first ten years of their life. The MACS now provides a unique opportunity to conduct a family study that can examine genes, childhood environment and individual risk factors for allergies. This will also allow exploration of the impact of allergies on families and the health care system, and how we can reduce that impact. Such information will provide evidence to guide health care policy and clinical practice. Also, the current study will provide a platform for future studies to investigate the progression of allergies in this family cohort. This will be the world's only longitudinal family follow-up of allergies that spans all of childhood. It will assist in reducing the impact of these common conditions, and the findings will be original and significant not only in Australia but also internationally.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Spirometry In Managing Chronic Respiratory Diseases In General Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$487,427.00
Summary
This study will compare the use of spirometry (a lung function test) in general practice, with and without feedback of results, against the delivery of usual medical care without spirometry. If positive, the trial will result in better health outcomes for patients with chronic respiratory disease.
Targeting CD4-positive Cells For Anti-HIV Gene Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$356,646.00
Summary
Treatment of HIV early following infection is thought to be important for maximising the quality of life of patients. Conventional therapy has had some success in early intervention but resistance invariably develops. This application proposes to develop a gene therapy approach to elimiate HIV infected cells by introducing a suicide gene into those cells that harbor the virus. The advantage of this approach is the limited toxicity that is associated with gene therapies as well as the ability to ....Treatment of HIV early following infection is thought to be important for maximising the quality of life of patients. Conventional therapy has had some success in early intervention but resistance invariably develops. This application proposes to develop a gene therapy approach to elimiate HIV infected cells by introducing a suicide gene into those cells that harbor the virus. The advantage of this approach is the limited toxicity that is associated with gene therapies as well as the ability to target specific cell-types. It is proposed to genetically modify a strain of adenovirus to introduce a gene that will kill cells that it infects that also contain HIV. This is a novel approach and potentially may be an important treatment in the future. Anti-HIV gene therapy may also be useful in addition to the more conventional treatments.Read moreRead less
Safety Of Hendra Virus Anti-G Glycoprotein Monoclonal Antibody In Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Hendra virus infection in humans is a serious, and often fatal, disease. No cure exists for Hendra infection and existing treatments are ineffective. Recently, a human monoclonal antibody has shown great promise in protecting animals from developing the disease. This project aims to perform preclinical safety testing and a Phase I clinical trial to establish the safety profile of this antibody such that it can be used to prevent Hendra infection in humans exposed to the disease.
Alternative Medicines From Medicinal Plants Of Aboriginal People Of Northern New South Wales
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,400.00
Summary
This research will conserve customary Australian Aboriginal knowledge of historical and cultural significance and apply this knowledge to the discovery of new evidence-based alternative medicines that may help address the growing need for new antimicrobial treatments. It will also be a model for collaboration between Australian Aboriginal communities and research scientists. The customary (traditional and contemporary) knowledge of medicinal plants possessed by Indigenous peoples is a significan ....This research will conserve customary Australian Aboriginal knowledge of historical and cultural significance and apply this knowledge to the discovery of new evidence-based alternative medicines that may help address the growing need for new antimicrobial treatments. It will also be a model for collaboration between Australian Aboriginal communities and research scientists. The customary (traditional and contemporary) knowledge of medicinal plants possessed by Indigenous peoples is a significant medicinal resource, as seen by the reliance on customary medicines by ~80% of the population in developing countries as their primary healthcare. There has been a renewed interest in customary medicines, especially with the increase in microbial resistance and emergence of new diseases, side effects of single compound medications and high cost of drug development. Australian Aboriginal people have a vast medicinal plant knowledge based on thousands of years of using plants as medicines. This especially includes topical use for conditions indicative of microbial infections. Despite their potential, relatively few studies have been conducted on Australian Aboriginal medicines to provide evidence for their use. For Northern New South Wales (NNSW) Aboriginal communities, as is the case for many other Australian Aboriginal communities, this customary knowledge is rapidly disappearing, especially due to premature deaths of the elder custodians of this knowledge. The overall aims of this project are to work in partnership with the NNSW Yaegl Local Aboriginal Land Council and Ulgundahi Elders Aboriginal Corporation to i) document and preserve first hand customary medicinal plant knowledge; ii) identify plants of significant medicinal potential in treating antibacterial and antifungal infections; iii) evaluate their effectiveness using in vitro and in vivo biological assays; and iv) identify the major bioactive components responsible for their medicinal properties.Read moreRead less