Viral Infection And Exacerbations Of Asthma During Pregnancy: Characteristics, Mechanisms And Consequences
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$465,210.00
Summary
At least 12% of pregnant women in Australia have asthma and more than half of these women will experience an acute attack during pregnancy. This puts the fetus at risk of poor outcomes such as low birth weight or premature birth, which has a significant impact on their health in both the short term and long term. The mechanisms which lead to exacerbations of asthma during pregnancy are unknown, but have implications for the treatment of pregnant women with asthma. In non-pregnant adults, the maj ....At least 12% of pregnant women in Australia have asthma and more than half of these women will experience an acute attack during pregnancy. This puts the fetus at risk of poor outcomes such as low birth weight or premature birth, which has a significant impact on their health in both the short term and long term. The mechanisms which lead to exacerbations of asthma during pregnancy are unknown, but have implications for the treatment of pregnant women with asthma. In non-pregnant adults, the majority of asthma exacerbations are caused by viral infection and it is likely that a similar mechanism operates in pregnant women with asthma. No previous studies have identified the viruses responsible for exacerbations of asthma during pregnancy. We currently have a promising lead in this area, with data showing that one third of pregnant women with asthma have a severe exacerbation of their asthma requiring medical intervention during pregnancy, and a large proportion of these are likely to be due to viral infection. We propose that during pregnancy, pregnant women with asthma are more susceptible to viral infection than pregnant women without asthma. We also suggest that women with asthma will have more severe viral infections during pregnancy, and that these will contribute to the majority of acute asthma attacks during pregnancy. This project will determine the rate of infection among pregnant women with and without asthma and determine the viruses responsible for acute attacks of asthma during pregnancy. The study will also explore the inflammatory mechanisms which predispose women to viral infection. These results will contribute to a greater understanding of the mechanisms leading to exacerbations of asthma during pregnancy and will be used to develop more appropriate asthma monitoring and treatment strategies for pregnant women, which will have health benefits for both mother and baby.Read moreRead less
Exploring The Role Of Respiratory Virus Infections In Childhood Asthma Exacerbations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$596,649.00
Summary
The PEAK study will explore the reasons children get worse asthma symptoms when they get colds. These reasons examined include the asthma medications taken (or not taken), allergies and exposure to allergens and the type of virus involved. The study follows the children over the whole school term and uses a new way to sample virus by collecting it in the breath, this is more comfortable than old methods and can be done at home.
Asthma is a major health problem for the Australian community. Recent studies have shown increasing numbers of people of all ages are developing asthma. Despite extensive asthma research and the development of new asthma drugs, asthma remains a leading cause of ill- health, especially in children. In many cases the deterioration in asthma symptoms is related to a cold or flu like illness, Viruses are the leading cause of these infections and are known to make asthma symptoms worse. How they do t ....Asthma is a major health problem for the Australian community. Recent studies have shown increasing numbers of people of all ages are developing asthma. Despite extensive asthma research and the development of new asthma drugs, asthma remains a leading cause of ill- health, especially in children. In many cases the deterioration in asthma symptoms is related to a cold or flu like illness, Viruses are the leading cause of these infections and are known to make asthma symptoms worse. How they do this is not completely understood. Asthma causes a unique type of inflammation in the airways, which is present in even mild asthma and can be controlled by medication. Viruses also cause inflammation by infecting the lungs. Viruses can cause severe attacks of asthma even when asthma appears controlled on medication. The ways in which virus infections do this, are not established. By understanding how this happens we may be able to design effective treatment for this problem. Our initial results indicate that virus induced asthma is different to asthma that is triggered by allergens. We plan to investigate what effect certain viruses have on the lungs of people with asthma by measuring cells and chemicals that are present in sputum. We will use recently developed technologies to accurately see what viruses are infecting these people, and then evaluate the role of treatment of virus induced asthma. This study will shed important light on potential causes of unstable asthma and the role that viral infection plays in this. It may also lead to new opportunities to develop treatments that are more effective in preventing and controlling asthma.Read moreRead less
Lung infections are the most frequent triggers of asthma exacerbations. While different infections cause exacerbations by they all result in the same type of lung inflammation. Using novel disease models, we have identified key molecules involved in a range of viral and bacterial induced asthma exacerbations. We will define these shared pathways that link viral and bacterial-mediated asthma exacerbations, thus these studies will pave the way for the development of unified treatments.
I am a respiratory physician studying mechanisms of respiratory allergy and host defence against respiratory viruses. My research aims to develop new ways of treating airway inflammation in asthma and COPD.
Elucidating The Role And Potential For Therapeutic Targeting Of TLR7 In Emphysema And COPD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$925,780.00
Summary
Emphysema is a major cause of illness and death and there are no effective treatments. It is caused by smoking that damages the airways and air sacs but how this occurs is not well understood. We have found that a new factor, called Toll-like receptor 7, is involved in emphysema. In this study we will now characterise its roles in this disease, work out how it induces emphysema and test new inhibitors (antibodies) that we have developed as treatments.
Increased Airway Smooth Muscle Mass As An Independent Determinant Of Asthma Pathogenesis And Severity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$409,966.00
Summary
Asthma is a major health burden to the community. The most common form of the disease is allergic asthma and it is thought that allergic inflammation drives associated airway abnormalities including increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass. This study tests a new hypothesis that airway abnormalities and allergy have separate origins but combine to produce allergic asthma, and it’s the individuals with the greatest amount of ASM who develop clinically severe asthma.
Modifying Epigenetics As A Novel Treatment In COPD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,122,854.00
Summary
Smoking leads to inflammation that causes emphysema, which is a major health problem. Once induced there is a progressive decline in health, which continues even after stopping smoking. There are no treatments that halt this decline. Recently smoking-induced changes in genes have been discovered that control inflammation. We may be able to reverse these changes and stop the induction and progression of emphysema. This project may lead to a completely new way of preventing and treating emphysema.