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

Interest in how the school built environment impacts bullying behaviour has gained momentum in recent years. While numerous studies have identified locations within schools where bullying frequently occurs, few studies have investigated the potential conceptual pathways linking school locations to bullying behaviour. ...

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

Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still among the leading causes of disease burden and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and the world is not on track to meet targets set for ending the epidemic by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ...

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

Preterm birth and subsequent neonatal ventilatory treatment disrupts development of the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR). An attenuated HVR has been identified in preterm neonates, however it is unknown whether the attenuation persists into the second year of life. ...

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

Detection of pneumonia-causing respiratory viruses in the nasopharynx of asymptomatic children has made their actual contribution to pneumonia unclear. We compared nasopharyngeal viral density between children with and without pneumonia to understand if viral density could be used to diagnose pneumonia. ...

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

Early infancy oral vitamin D supplementation does not appear to reduce the development of early childhood allergic disease ...

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

Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment. In particular, immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) leads to durable responses in some patients with some cancers. However, the majority of treated patients do not respond. Understanding immune mechanisms that underlie responsiveness to ICT will help identify predictive biomarkers of response and develop treatments to convert non-responding patients to responding ones. ICT primarily acts at the level of adaptive immunity. The specificity of adaptive immune cells, such as T and B cells, is determined by antigen-specific receptors. ...

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

The dramatic rise in allergic disease has occurred in tandem with recent environmental changes and increasing indoor lifestyle culture. While multifactorial, one consistent allergy risk factor has been reduced sunlight exposure. However, vitamin D supplementation studies have been disappointing in preventing allergy, raising possible independent effects of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. ...

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

Influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in Australia, causing significant morbidity and mortality. We assessed the burden of influenza across all ages in terms of influenza-associated mortality and hospitalizations using national mortality, hospital-discharge and influenza surveillance data. ...

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

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is a common and important complication in children with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We describe the epidemiology of IFD in a large multicentre cohort of children with AML. ...

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

Pet ownership brings many health benefits to individuals. In children developmental benefits can extend to improved self-esteem, better social competence and decreased loneliness. The majority of households with children own a dog, however only a small proportion of children gain the benefits of dog ownership through dog walking and play. There are few intervention studies investigating the impact of dog-facilitated physical activity in children. The PLAYCE PAWS study aims to test a minimal-contact intervention through the use of mobile health ("mhealth") strategies, i.e. text (SMS) messages, to parents to encourage their children to walk and play with their dog more, and evaluate the impact on children's overall physical activity and development. ...

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

Intellectual and developmental disabilities are heterogeneous in aetiology and presentation, and one cannot make assumptions about the oral health barriers of those with Rett syndrome (RTT) based on findings from generic studies. This study investigated caregivers' perceptions regarding access to dental care for those with RTT, and associations of dental treatments received by those with RTT with their caregivers' perceived value of oral health and perception of their own as well as their daughter's dental anxiety. ...

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