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News & Events

Great minds come together at Wal-yan Scientific Retreat

Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre team members and special guests travelled to Wadjemup (Rottnest) on 27 and 28 October to spend an intensive two days together learning about, and providing input into, the broad range of research projects underway within the Centre.

Phage therapy for compassionate use

"Compassionate Use" treatments are novel treatments not widely available to everyone, but ones that holds great promise for potentially becoming a widely used treatment in the future.

News & Events

Patients with antibiotic-resistant lung infections to receive promising phage therapy treatment as part of new trial led by The Kids Research Institute Australia Researcher Anthony Kicic

Patients with lung infections that are not responding to antibiotics will be treated with phage therapy as part of a translational trial program to be undertaken by world-recognised experts in this field.

News & Events

International trial shows that interferon could help reduce the spread of COVID-19

Results of an innovative clinical trial led by Perth researchers have shown that the drug interferon could help reduce the spread of COVID-19 from a positive person to their household contacts, with the study helping to inform treatment options for a future pandemic.

News & Events

Wal-yan researchers to join global respiratory congress in Vienna

Researchers from the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre are proud to be part of this prestigious event, contributing their expertise to the Congress' outstanding scientific programme.

Research

Airway macrophages display decreased expression of receptors mediating and regulating scavenging in early cystic fibrosis lung disease

Cystic fibrosis (CF) airway disease is characterized by chronic inflammation, featuring neutrophil influx to the lumen. Airway macrophages (AMs) can promote both inflammation and resolution, and are thus critical to maintaining and restoring homeostasis. CF AM functions, specifically scavenging activity and resolution of inflammation, have been shown to be impaired, yet underlying processes remain unknown.

Research

Prevalence of tracheobronchomalacia is higher than previously reported in children with cystic fibrosis

Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) is estimated to be present in 1 in 2100 children. Previous reports suggest the prevalence is higher in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). This has clinical implications with potential to influence airway clearance and lung health.

Research

Standardised treatment and monitoring protocol to assess safety and tolerability of bacteriophage therapy for adult and paediatric patients (STAMP study): protocol for an open-label, single-arm trial

There has been renewed interest in the therapeutic use of bacteriophages (phages); however, standardised therapeutic protocols are lacking, and there is a paucity of rigorous clinical trial data assessing efficacy.

Research

BEAT CF pulmonary exacerbations core protocol for evaluating the management of pulmonary exacerbations in people with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare, inherited, life-limiting condition predominantly affecting the lungs, for which there is no cure. The disease is characterized by recurrent pulmonary exacerbations (PEx), which are thought to drive progressive lung damage. Management of these episodes is complex and generally involves multiple interventions targeting different aspects of disease. The emergence of innovative trials and use of Bayesian statistical methods has created renewed opportunities for studying heterogeneous populations in rare diseases.

Research

Learning to make a difference for chILD: Value creation through network collaboration and team science

Addressing the recognized challenges and inequalities in providing high quality healthcare for rare diseases such as children's interstitial lung disease (chILD) requires collaboration across institutional, geographical, discipline, and system boundaries. The Children's Interstitial Lung Disease Respiratory Network of Australia and New Zealand (chILDRANZ) is an example of a clinical network that brings together multidisciplinary health professionals for collaboration, peer learning, and advocacy with the goal of improving the diagnosis and management of this group of rare and ultra-rare conditions.