Risk Assessment And Prevention Of Respiratory Complications In Paediatric Anaesthesia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,253.00
Summary
Respiratory problems account for more than three quarters of all critical incidents and a third of all cardiac arrests in healthy children undergoing anaesthesia for surgical procedures. It is therefore vital to identify high risk children early to be able to adapt the anaesthesia regimen accordingly. This series of studies will study new prediction and prevention strategies to minimise respiratory problems and therefore improve the safety for our children when undergoing anaesthesia.
Neurodevelopmental Outcome After Sevoflurane Versus Dexmedetomidine/remifentanil Anaesthesia In Infancy: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$825,787.00
Summary
Evidence in animals show that some anaesthetics affect the developing brain. Some human data also show a link between childhood surgery and poorer neurodevelopmental outcome. It is unknown if this association is due to the anaesthetic. Our recent GAS trial showed no evidence for toxicity after 1 hour of anaesthesic but many children have longer anaesthetics. We plan to enrol 420 infants in a study comparing neurodevelopmental outcome after 2 different anaesthetics for surgery lasting >2 hours ....Evidence in animals show that some anaesthetics affect the developing brain. Some human data also show a link between childhood surgery and poorer neurodevelopmental outcome. It is unknown if this association is due to the anaesthetic. Our recent GAS trial showed no evidence for toxicity after 1 hour of anaesthesic but many children have longer anaesthetics. We plan to enrol 420 infants in a study comparing neurodevelopmental outcome after 2 different anaesthetics for surgery lasting >2 hours.Read moreRead less
I am a research scientist measuring inhaled and exhaled bioaerosols, such as viruses and allergens, to determine their clinical role in human respiratory diseases, particularly asthma.
Mechanisms And Treatment Of Early Life Chlamydial Infection And Associated Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$616,195.00
Summary
Asthma is a serious respiratory disease that results from certain immune responses to allergens and there are no cures. Immune responses and lung structure may be permanently altered by respiratory chlamydial infection early in life that leads to reduced lung function and asthma but how this occurs is unknown. In this project we will determine how early life infections affect immune responses, lung function and asthma and test novel treatments and preventions for infection-associated asthma.
Fine Mapping Of Genes Underlying Asthma And Eosinophilia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$278,000.00
Summary
Asthma is the fourth most common chronic disease in Australia, and is increasing in incidence. Genetic factors are known to be important modifiers of disease risk, and several genes have been reported in the literature as being involved in either causing asthma or altering response to therapy. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) level and eosinophil count are two factors known to be increased in the blood of asthmatics. In two studies by our group, one of asthma in families, the other of healthy adolescent t ....Asthma is the fourth most common chronic disease in Australia, and is increasing in incidence. Genetic factors are known to be important modifiers of disease risk, and several genes have been reported in the literature as being involved in either causing asthma or altering response to therapy. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) level and eosinophil count are two factors known to be increased in the blood of asthmatics. In two studies by our group, one of asthma in families, the other of healthy adolescent twins, we showed these measures to be genetically linked to two different regions in the genome. Closer examination of these regions found several genes that might be responsible for the linkage. In the present study, we plan to test which of these candidate genes actually causes elevated IgE level or eosinophil count. The approach is to compare the frequency of a putative gene in a child expressing that phenotype to that in their parents. Each child receives one copy of a gene from the father, and one from the mother, making up a complete genotype (two possibly different versions or alleles of the gene). Since each parent transmitted only one allele to the child, the remaining allele from each parent can be used to create a normal control genotype, that is guaranteed to come from the same ethnic background as the asthmatic child. Therefore, we will collect replacement blood samples in those familes where all the previously DNA has been used up in our earlier study. We will extract DNA, and measure the genotypes of parents and children at the 6 genes in our two regions that we think most likely to be involved in eosinophil count or IgE level. This family based test will allow us to decide which genes are genuinely associated with asthma in our population. We will also test if these genes interact with other genes thought to be asthma risk factors. Identification of novel genes involved in asthma will help understand and ultimately treat this condition.Read moreRead less
Role Of Zinc In The Respiratory Epithelium And Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$224,250.00
Summary
This project will use a panel of Zinquin-derived Zn fluorophores developed in our laboratory, as well as probes for the mammalian family of vesicular ZnT transporters, to carry out a study of the normal physiology of Zn in the respiratory system and potential abnormalities of this in patients with chronic inflammatory respiratory disease (asthma, COPD, chronic smoking). Chronic inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract affect a significant proportion of the Australian community. For example ....This project will use a panel of Zinquin-derived Zn fluorophores developed in our laboratory, as well as probes for the mammalian family of vesicular ZnT transporters, to carry out a study of the normal physiology of Zn in the respiratory system and potential abnormalities of this in patients with chronic inflammatory respiratory disease (asthma, COPD, chronic smoking). Chronic inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract affect a significant proportion of the Australian community. For example, asthma affects 12% of adults and amongst these, 15% waken weekly or more often with their asthma while 6% are hospitalized annually. There is a need to understand the basic mechanisms underlying these diseases so that new strategies can be developed to modify bronchocondtriction and inflammation. The project will provide new knowledge concerning the physiology of Zn in the respiratory epithelium and interactions between Zn deficiency and oxidants on injury in the respiratory tract. The usefulness of easily accessible nasal epithelial cells as a measure of Zn and Zn transporter levels deeper in the respiratory tract will be assessed. The project encompasses a number of fields and utilizes in vitro cellular and animal models, as well as tissues from human subjects.Read moreRead less
Population Prevalence And Environmental-genetic Predictors Of Food Allergy In An Infant Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,642.00
Summary
This study will measure which children are at greatest risk of food allergy. We plan to recruit 5000 children to test for food allergies, as well as asking a range of questions on different lifestyle factors such as diet and history of allergies . If positive, participants will be invited to a hospital clinic for tests and treatment. This will allow us to describe the epidemiology of food allergy, and assist the development of better services for those with food allergy in the community.