The way the immune system operates differs between males and females. This is due to both differential expression of immune-related genes from the sex chromosomes as well as the immune modulatory properties of sex hormones. Together, these effects contribute to a skewed prevalence of disease and disease course between males and females, including allergic-, infectious-, autoimmune-, and cancerous disease. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• July 2023

Neutrophils are the most abundant immune cell in circulation. However, due to a number of technical challenges for researchers, including the neutrophil's short lifespan and difficulties with preservation, they are often discarded during blood processing and thus ignored in cohort studies. As such, the contribution of neutrophils to disease and their involvement in disease mechanisms is less explored compared with other immune cell types. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• February 2023

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease in which circulatory biomarkers has the potential for guiding management in clinical practice. We assessed the prognostic role of serum biomarkers in three independent IPF cohorts, the Australian IPF Registry (AIPFR), Trent Lung Fibrosis (TLF) and Prospective Observation of Fibrosis in the Lung Clinical Endpoints (PROFILE). ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• October 2021

Oral immunotherapy is effective at inducing desensitisation to allergens and induces sustained unresponsiveness (ie, clinical remission) in a subset of patients, but causes frequent reactions. We aimed to investigate whether addition of a probiotic adjuvant improved the efficacy or safety of peanut oral immunotherapy. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• March 2022

This study suggests that broad-spectrum protection-of-pregnancy against infection-associated inflammatory stress represents an achievable therapeutic goal ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2017
• May 2017

The gut microbiota is influenced by environmental factors such as food. Maternal diet during pregnancy modifies the gut microbiota composition and function, leading to the production of specific compounds that are transferred to the fetus and enhance the ontogeny and maturation of the immune system. Prebiotics are fermented by gut bacteria, leading to the release of short-chain fatty acids that can specifically interact with the immune system, inducing a switch toward tolerogenic populations and therefore conferring health benefits. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• July 2021

A hallmark of atopic asthma is development of chronic airways hyper-responsiveness (AHR) that persists in the face of ongoing exposure to perennial... ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2012
• May 2012

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways, most commonly driven by immuno-inflammatory responses to ubiquitous airborne antigens. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2011
• September 2011