Search the site

Pre-Post Intervention to Strengthen and Sustain the Paediatric ESCALATION System (The SPECS): Study Protocol

Promptly recognising changes in an acutely unwell child’s condition is fundamental to prevent tragic outcomes. Western Australian (WA) healthcare facilities used inconsistent and varied paediatric early warning systems. To improve care consistency, a standardised ESCALATION system, inclusive of family involvement and sepsis recognition, was developed.

In utero and early-life nitrate in drinking water impacts lung function of weanling rats

Consumption of nitrate in drinking water has previously been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including methemoglobinemia and potentially cancer. In animal models, it has been shown to impact respiratory structure and function, however, there is a paucity of data of the effects of in utero exposure on the respiratory health of offspring.

A Small Device May Deliver King-Sized Solutions for Patients With an Exacerbation of Cystic Fibrosis

The aim is to examine whether using a portable spring-infusor device to deliver antibiotics compared with a standard infusion pump (SIP) translated to (i) improve health outcomes, (ii) reduce the length of stay (LoS), and (iii) reduce cost for treatment of exacerbations of cystic fibrosis.

Phage therapy to treat cystic fibrosis Burkholderia cepacia complex lung infections: perspectives and challengesge

Burkholderia cepacia complex is a cause of serious lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis, exhibiting extremely high levels of antimicrobial resistance. These infections are difficult to treat and are associated with high morbidity and mortality.

Identifying SETBP1 haploinsufficiency molecular pathways to improve patient diagnosis using induced pluripotent stem cells and neural disease modelling

SETBP1 Haploinsufficiency Disorder (SETBD) is characterised by mild to moderate intellectual disability, speech and language impairment, mild motor developmental delay, behavioural issues, hypotonia, mild facial dysmorphisms, and vision impairment. Despite a clear link between SETBP1 mutations and neurodevelopmental disorders the precise role of SETBP1 in neural development remains elusive.

Lentiviral vector gene therapy and CFTR modulators show comparable effectiveness in cystic fibrosis rat airway models

Mutation-agnostic treatments such as airway gene therapy have the potential to treat any individual with cystic fibrosis (CF), irrespective of their CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene variants. The aim of this study was to employ two CF rat models, Phe508del and CFTR knockout to assess the comparative effectiveness of CFTR modulators and lentiviral vector-mediated gene therapy.

Transcriptomic analysis of primary nasal epithelial cells reveals altered interferon signalling in preterm birth survivors at one year of age

Many survivors of preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation) have lifelong respiratory deficits, the drivers of which remain unknown. Influencers of pathophysiological outcomes are often detectable at the gene level and pinpointing these differences can help guide targeted research and interventions. This study provides the first transcriptomic analysis of primary nasal airway epithelial cells in survivors of preterm birth at approximately 1 year of age.

Wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 new variants BA.2.86 and offspring JN.1 in South and Southeast Asia

Anthony Kicic BSc (Hons) PhD Rothwell Family Fellow; Head, Airway Epithelial Research Anthony.Kicic@thekids.org.au Rothwell Family Fellow; Head,

Treatment with inhaled aerosolised ethanol reduces viral load and potentiates macrophage responses in an established influenza mouse model

Treatment options for viral lung infections are currently limited. We aimed to explore the safety and efficacy of inhaled ethanol in an influenza-infection mouse model.

Immune checkpoint therapy responders display early clonal expansion of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) causes durable tumour responses in a subgroup of patients, but it is not well known how T cell receptor beta (TCRβ) repertoire dynamics contribute to the therapeutic response.