Localised Airway Reactivity As A Determinant Of Asthma Control And AHR
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,562.00
Summary
Asthma morbidity and mortality remain high, with drug cost, days lost from school and work. This may be due to severe asthma in which control cannot be attained. This may be due to localised regions of lung that remain persistently responsive to inhaled irritants. We will examine the location and size of these regions using 3-dimensional ventilation scanning. The potential importance of our findings is in providing a basis for improving treatment in resistant, severe asthma.
Elucidating The Roles And Mechanisms Of Activation Of NLRP3 Inflammasomes And Developing Therapeutic Interventions For Severe Steroid-resistant Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$961,929.00
Summary
Severe asthma is a major clinical issue. There are no effective treatments because we don’t understand how it occurs. We have identified a factor called an “inflammasome” that we think causes severe asthma. We have produced a new inhibitor of this factor, and shown experimentally that it may suppress important symptoms of severe asthma. We now aim to work out precisely how this inflammasome causes severe asthma and progress our new inhibitor towards therapeutic development.
Targeting Neutrophil Extracellular Traps To Reduce Inflammation In Severe Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$585,240.00
Summary
People with severe asthma, a chronic disease of the lungs, often have many inflammatory cells in the airways called neutrophils. Neutrophils release a meshwork of fibers in a web like trap called NETs, which are made of the cells DNA and other proteins that fight infection. These NETs can promote inflammation in the persons airways. Current asthma treatments have no effect on NETs. This project will measure NETs in the airways and test a new treatment to reduce NETs, and relieve asthma symptoms.
Elucidating The Mechanisms Of Infection-induced, Steroid-resistant Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$348,070.00
Summary
Steroid-resistant asthma is an important clinical problem and effective therapies are urgently required. Substantial evidence links bacterial and viral respiratory infections with steroid-resistant asthma, however, how infections are associated with steroid-resistant asthma is not known. This project will investigate the role of specific immune factors, that we have identified, in infection-induced steroid-resistant asthma. Our project may identify new therapeutic targets for this severe form of ....Steroid-resistant asthma is an important clinical problem and effective therapies are urgently required. Substantial evidence links bacterial and viral respiratory infections with steroid-resistant asthma, however, how infections are associated with steroid-resistant asthma is not known. This project will investigate the role of specific immune factors, that we have identified, in infection-induced steroid-resistant asthma. Our project may identify new therapeutic targets for this severe form of asthma.Read moreRead less
Role Of Toll-like Receptor 7 In Rhinovirus-induced Asthma Exacerbation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$697,248.00
Summary
One third of the annual asthma-related health care expenditure may be attributable to asthma-related hospitalisations. Even mild asthmatics experience severe exacerbations at a rate of almost one per year1 and those attacks can be fatal. Rhinovirus (RV) causes the majority of asthma exacerbations which may be linked to an impaired antiviral interferon (IFN) response in asthmatics. RV is sensed by Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7, but the role of this innate host defence pathway in regulating antiviral
Anti-viral Immune Dysfunction In Severe Asthma Varies Across Inflammatory Phenotypes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$997,153.00
Summary
Common cold viruses often trigger asthma flare-ups , but have relatively minor effects on healthy people. Why this happens is not clear. We have identified two different ways in which the immune system can react badly to a common cold virus in people with asthma. In this study we will find out more about why the immune system does not react normally in a large group of people with severe asthma. This study will help us discover improved treatments that can be targeted to people with asthma.
Viral Infection And TGFbeta Impair Glucocorticoid Activity In Epithelial Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$617,699.00
Summary
Chronic inflammatory lung diseases like asthma and smokers lung are treated with combinations of anti-inflammatory drugs. Powerful anti-inflammatory types of steroid drugs are used in more severe disease. Even these powerful drugs are sometimes not effective enough. Our work is developing an understanding of how inflammation limits the anti-inflammatory effects of steroids and we are devising ways to overcome this with new drugs. We aim to improve treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, espe ....Chronic inflammatory lung diseases like asthma and smokers lung are treated with combinations of anti-inflammatory drugs. Powerful anti-inflammatory types of steroid drugs are used in more severe disease. Even these powerful drugs are sometimes not effective enough. Our work is developing an understanding of how inflammation limits the anti-inflammatory effects of steroids and we are devising ways to overcome this with new drugs. We aim to improve treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, especially those affecting the lung.Read moreRead less
Targeting Translational Control By Modulating MiRNA Function As A Novel Way To Treat Respiratory Infections And Inflammatory Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$700,623.00
Summary
Among the major health issues of today is our inability to effectively treat bacterial infections and the emergence of antibiotic resistant microbes. MicroRNA are small molecules that control the levels of proteins in immune cells that fight infections. In this project we will determine if inhibiting miRNA function in the lung enhances defence against microbial invasion and is a new therapeutic approach to treat infection driven diseases of the airways such asthma and emphysema.
Understanding How Azithromycin Prevents Exacerbations In Severe Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$697,273.00
Summary
In some people with severe asthma, conventional inhaler treatments are not able to control the disease so there is a need for new treatment options. We have recently completed a large clinical trial which showed that very low doses of a common antibiotic help prevent asthma attacks in this situation. However, not much is known about how the antibiotic is working. This study will help us understand how the antibiotic is working and which people respond best.
Rhinovirus Protease Subcellular Trafficking And Host Cell Targets; Relevance To Asthma Exacerbation And Vaccine Approaches
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$582,072.00
Summary
Rhinovirus (RV) infections are the major cause of virus induced asthma attacks, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Asthma & asthma exacerbations are increasing worldwide with new strategies urgently needed to reduce RV-associated disease. We aim to build on our substantive new data, using cutting edge technology to identify new targets for novel asthma therapies.