Stephen Tobias Stick Kollmann SM TK MB BChir PhD MRCP FRACP PhD, M.D., SFUW Head, P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Honorary Research Associate 08 6319 ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Projects

Conventional vaccine design has been based on trial-and-error approaches, which have been generally successful. However, there have been some major failures in vaccine development and we still do not have highly effective licensed vaccines for tuberculosis, HIV, respiratory syncytial virus, and other major infections of global significance. Approaches at rational vaccine design have been limited by our understanding of the immune response to vaccination at the molecular level. Tools now exist to undertake in-depth analysis using systems biology approaches, but to be fully realized, studies are required in humans with intensive blood and tissue sampling. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2020
• November 2020

The gut microbiome is a well-recognized modulator of host immunity, and its compositions differ between geographically separated human populations. Systemic innate immune responses to microbial derivatives also differ between geographically distinct human populations. However, the potential role of the microbiome in mediating geographically varied immune responses is unexplored. We here applied 16S amplicon sequencing to profile the stool microbiome and, in parallel, measured whole-blood innate immune cytokine responses to several pattern recognition receptor (PRR) agonists among 2-year-old children across biogeographically diverse settings. Microbiomes differed mainly between high- and low-resource environments and were not strongly associated with other demographic factors. We found strong correlations between responses to Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and relative abundances of Bacteroides and Prevotella populations, shared among Canadian and Ecuadorean children. ...

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

Tobias Strunk TS MD, PhD, FRACP Head, Neonatal Health tobias.strunk@telethonkids.org.au Head, Neonatal Health Clinical Professor Tobias Strunk is a ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Past teams
• Neonatal Neurodevelopment, Gut Health and Nutrition

The bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has immunomodulatory "off-target" effects that have been hypothesized to protect against coronavirus disease 2019.  ...

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

Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the most commonly administered vaccine in human history. The medical application of BCG extends far beyond the fight against tuberculosis. Despite its stellar medical record over 100 years, insight into how BCG provides this vast range of benefits is largely limited, both for its pathogen-specific (tuberculosis) as well as pathogen-agnostic (other infections, autoimmunity, allergies, and cancer) effects. ...

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

The monoclonal antibody, palivizumab is licensed for use in high-risk infants to prevent severe illness caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The level of its use and compliance with current jurisdictional guidelines which were amended in 2010, is unknown. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2020
• October 2020

In addition to providing pathogen-specific immunity, vaccines can also confer nonspecific effects (NSEs) on mortality and morbidity unrelated to the targeted disease. Immunisation with live vaccines, such as the BCG vaccine, has generally been associated with significantly reduced all-cause infant mortality. In contrast, some inactivated vaccines, such as the diphtheria, tetanus, whole-cell pertussis (DTPw) vaccine, have been controversially associated with increased all-cause mortality especially in female infants in high-mortality settings. ...

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

The BCG vaccine has long been recognized for reducing the risk to suffer from infectious diseases unrelated to its target disease, tuberculosis. Evidence from human trials demonstrate substantial reductions in all-cause mortality, especially in the first week of life. Observational studies have identified an association between BCG vaccination and reduced risk of respiratory infectious disease and clinical malaria later in childhood. ...

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

It's the Telethon Kids Institute's first anniversary within Perth Children’s Hospital ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• News & Events
• News & Events at Telethon Kids
• 2019
• August