The Impact Of Infant Feeding Practices And In Utero Exposure To Bisphenol A On Respiratory Health And Somatic Growth In Early Childhood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$120,253.00
Summary
Bisphenol A is a chemical often used in making plastic containers, including infant bottles. It is known to leach from plastic into food in very low doses. Exposure to high levels of bisphenol A is believed to trigger chemical pathways in the body which increase the risk of obesity and asthma. This project will follow a group of pregnant women and infants to observe the level of exposure to bisphenol A in Australia, and to investigate how exposure to bisphenol A correlates to asthmatic symptoms, ....Bisphenol A is a chemical often used in making plastic containers, including infant bottles. It is known to leach from plastic into food in very low doses. Exposure to high levels of bisphenol A is believed to trigger chemical pathways in the body which increase the risk of obesity and asthma. This project will follow a group of pregnant women and infants to observe the level of exposure to bisphenol A in Australia, and to investigate how exposure to bisphenol A correlates to asthmatic symptoms, growth and fat deposition in early childhood.Read moreRead less
Intrauterine Ureaplasma Infection During Pregnancy: Fetal Effects And Characteristics Of Ureaplasma Pathogenicity.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$527,097.00
Summary
Ureaplasmas are microorganisms that are commonly found in the urinary tracts of men and women, without any apparent adverse effects; but their presence in amniotic fluid during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. The effects that ureaplasmas in the amniotic fluid have on the developing baby before birth are likely to result in illness after birth, but the range of potential effects is unknown. We also know very little about how ureaplasmas themselves ....Ureaplasmas are microorganisms that are commonly found in the urinary tracts of men and women, without any apparent adverse effects; but their presence in amniotic fluid during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. The effects that ureaplasmas in the amniotic fluid have on the developing baby before birth are likely to result in illness after birth, but the range of potential effects is unknown. We also know very little about how ureaplasmas themselves manage to infect the fetus and other tissues within the pregnant uterus. Our studies are designed to identify the effects that ureaplasmas in amniotic fluid have on the developing fetus and how common treatments during pregnancy impact on those effects. We will also study ureaplasmas to see what it is about them that allows them to affect the fetus and other uterine tissues. We expect that our studies will lead to better diagnosis and treatment of amniotic ureaplasma infection during pregnancy, and will allow us to better care for babies born after exposure to ureaplasmas before birth.Read moreRead less
The Effects Of Maternal Health On Fetal Kidney Development And Its Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$297,338.00
Summary
There is an epidemic of renal disease among Australian aborigines. While much of this could have been prevented by effective control of Group A streptococcal skin infections, there is also evidence that the high susceptibility to end-stage renal disease is related to poor intrauterine development of the kidney as low- birth weight is a predisposing factor. Mothers, whose renal function is impaired, tend to have babies which are low birth weight. There is no knowledge about the effects of materna ....There is an epidemic of renal disease among Australian aborigines. While much of this could have been prevented by effective control of Group A streptococcal skin infections, there is also evidence that the high susceptibility to end-stage renal disease is related to poor intrauterine development of the kidney as low- birth weight is a predisposing factor. Mothers, whose renal function is impaired, tend to have babies which are low birth weight. There is no knowledge about the effects of maternal renal dysfunction on development of the fetal kidney. We have recently developed an animal model in which we can study the effects of maternal renal dysfunction on the development of the kidney of her offspring. Human beings form 60% of the functional units (nephrons) in the kidney in the last trimester. Sheep, like human beings (and unlike rats), completely form all the nephrons that they will ever have, during intrauterine life. While the fetal kidneys play an essential role in the formation of amniotic fluid, regulation of fetal fluid and electrolyte homeostasis depends on maternal renal function via transplacental transfer. If maternal renal function is reduced, it is likely that the fetal kidneys will be exposed to a greater volume and solute load through transplacental equilibration. This may have a profund effect on renal development especially if coupled with an inadequate maternal diet and a high maternal salt intake. Under these conditions we predict that development of the fetal kidney will be impaired and renal capacity after birth, reduced. This means that the kidney will 'age' more rapidly. Thus the affected individual would be predisposed to renal disease in adult life. In our animal model we will study the effects and interactions of maternal renal insufficiency, poor fetal nutrition and a high maternal salt intake on fetal kidney development and function.Read moreRead less
Role Of Maternal Dietary Omega3 Fatty Acids In Modulation Of Allergen-specific T Cell Responses In The Offspring
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$287,036.00
Summary
Environmental lifestyle changes are implicated in the concerning increase in allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic diseases over the 25 years. Despite the enormous personal, social and economic cost, the exact causes are not clear. Diet is one of the most important yet unstudied environmental exposures linked to the recent increase in both asthma and allergic disease. Authorities in this area have recommended diet as research priority in the search for allergy prevention strategies. Alle ....Environmental lifestyle changes are implicated in the concerning increase in allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic diseases over the 25 years. Despite the enormous personal, social and economic cost, the exact causes are not clear. Diet is one of the most important yet unstudied environmental exposures linked to the recent increase in both asthma and allergic disease. Authorities in this area have recommended diet as research priority in the search for allergy prevention strategies. Allergic diseases result from inappropriate inflammatory immune responses to protein substances such as dust mite (allergens), and it now evident that these patterns of immune responses are commonly initiated before birth. This study will address the influence of maternal diet in pregnancy on the developing human immune system, and how it contributes to the development of allergic immune responses in offspring. One of the most significant dietary changes associated with increasing urbanisation is the increasing intake of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (which may promote allergic immune responses) and declining dietary levels of omega-3 fatty acids (which inhibit inflammatory immune responses). Omega-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects in many inflammatory diseases, and are important for healthy pregnancy. It is possible that maternal diets which are becoming increasingly deficient in omega-3 fatty acids may prime the fetus to respond more readily to allergens, and increase the risk of later allergic responses. This study will determine whether increasing dietary omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy using fish oil supplements, can alter immune responses to house dust mite and other allergens at birth and later infancy. The findings will contribute to our understanding of the relationship between antenatal nutrition and immune development and may lead to dietary recommendations as a cost effective, non invasive strategy to help prevent allergic disease.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354576
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Spatially Integrated Social Science Research in Australia. Rapid change across society has resulted in shifts to the scope of social science research including the emergence of space and place as an important concept. Across research fields the result has been that a range of innovative and unique techniques, methodologies and theories that are space based are now being developed. While research is progressing rapidly, it is undertaken in parallel by researchers who can not always collaborate. ....Spatially Integrated Social Science Research in Australia. Rapid change across society has resulted in shifts to the scope of social science research including the emergence of space and place as an important concept. Across research fields the result has been that a range of innovative and unique techniques, methodologies and theories that are space based are now being developed. While research is progressing rapidly, it is undertaken in parallel by researchers who can not always collaborate. Recognising these advances, this initiative focuses on harnessing Australia's capacity and potential in the use of spatially based methods and theories and brings researchers together in collaboration across a number of fields. Read moreRead less
ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science. The ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science (SISS) builds Australia's capacity and capability for innovative, collaborative, cross-disciplinary effort to investigate the impacts of change on the behaviour and well-being of people and the fortunes of places. SISS theories and research tools permit the integration of diverse and complex databases, the generation of new synthetic datasets, the incorporation of spatial ....ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science. The ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science (SISS) builds Australia's capacity and capability for innovative, collaborative, cross-disciplinary effort to investigate the impacts of change on the behaviour and well-being of people and the fortunes of places. SISS theories and research tools permit the integration of diverse and complex databases, the generation of new synthetic datasets, the incorporation of spatial concepts into statistical analysis and modelling, powerful visualisation of information, and the building spatial decision support systems, to provide an improved evidence base and better informed decision-making to address the significant challenges facing Australia's people and its places.Read moreRead less
To study the genetic alterations that give rise to cancer. In particular, exploring how too little death of cells can lead to a tumour. If too few cells in a tissue die, a tumour may develop there. The team is exploring how the cell death process is normally controlled. They plan to characterise the molecules inside cells that determine whether a cell lives or dies and hope that better understanding of those molecules will help to explain how tumours arise. It could also lead to new drugs that c ....To study the genetic alterations that give rise to cancer. In particular, exploring how too little death of cells can lead to a tumour. If too few cells in a tissue die, a tumour may develop there. The team is exploring how the cell death process is normally controlled. They plan to characterise the molecules inside cells that determine whether a cell lives or dies and hope that better understanding of those molecules will help to explain how tumours arise. It could also lead to new drugs that can kill tumour cells more effectively by directly triggering the normal death switch of the cell.Read moreRead less
Emotional Behaviour in England, 1930-1980. My aim is produce a study of emotional behaviour in England. This will be a contribution to the expanding history of gender and of the self. The project will demonstrate the importance, in terms of insights into cultural change, of recovery of previous emotional standards. Additionally it will test the claims that have been made about governmentality in the twentieth century.
Combinatorial Therapeutics In High-risk Infant Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,891.00
Summary
Modern therapies for children with leukaemia are curative in more than 90%. In contrast, survival for infants less than one year of age at the time of diagnosis is less than 50%. Better therapies are desperately needed. From laboratory testing we have discovered effective novel cancer drugs, which are not currently used for treatment of babies with leukaemia. We will evaluate novel drug combinations and test them in model systems, such that they can be fast-tracked to the clinic.