Despite several calls for greater inclusion of pregnant people in non-obstetric clinical trials, their systematic exclusion remains common practice. Excluding pregnant individuals from clinical trials may result in unintended consequences such as inadequate treatment of medical conditions in pregnancy, inappropriate dosing of medications, and investigational therapies being used off-label outside of the context of a clinical trial, risking adverse events in the absence of demonstrated efficacy. ...

• Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• March 2023

For decades, the research community has called for participant information sheets/consent forms (PICFs) to be improved. Recommendations include simplifying content, reducing length, presenting information in layers and using multimedia. However, there are relatively few studies that have evaluated health consumers' (patients/carers) perspectives on the type and organisation of information, and the level of detail to be included in a PICF to optimise an informed decision to enter a trial. ...

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

While chemotherapy remains the first-line treatment for many cancers, it is still unclear what distinguishes responders from non-responders. Here, we characterize the chemotherapy-responsive tumor microenvironment in mice, using RNA sequencing on tumors before and after cyclophosphamide, and compare the gene expression profiles of responders with progressors. ...

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

The potential for human-computer interaction to have a substantial impact on adults is well documented. However, its potential importance prior to birth has rarely been reported. Parental use of smartphones and tablet computers could influence the relationship between parent and baby during pregnancy (prenatal attachment) and thus child development. ...

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

Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream (SAB) infection is a common and severe infectious disease, with a 90-day mortality of 15%-30%. Despite this, <3000 people have been randomized into clinical trials of treatments for SAB infection. ...

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

Laboratory models provide an important tool in helping to understand the cellular and molecular drivers of respiratory disease. Many animal models exist that model the neonatal outcomes of preterm birth. ...

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

Infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) develop structural lung disease early in life, and viral infections are associated with progressive lung disease. We hypothesized that the presence of respiratory viruses would be associated with structural lung disease on computed tomography (CT) of the chest in infants with CF. ...

• Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• May 2022

In this study we assessed the effects of antigen exposure in mice pre‐sensitized with allergen following viral infection on changes in lung function, cellular responses and tight junction expression. ...

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

Nasal epithelial cells from very preterm infants have a functional defect in their ability to repair beyond the first year of life, and failed repair may be associated with antenatal steroid exposure. ...

• Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• June 2021

Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis has traditionally been considered the sole precursor of acute rheumatic fever (ARF). Evidence from Australia, however, suggests that GAS skin infections may contribute to the pathogenesis of ARF. ...

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

Households are known to be high-risk locations for the transmission of communicable diseases. Numerous modelling studies have demonstrated the important role of households in sustaining both communicable diseases outbreaks and endemic transmission, and as the focus for control efforts. However, these studies typically assume that households are associated with a single dwelling and have static membership. ...

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

This study tested a new program for helping smokers with severe mental illness to reduce their tobacco use, together with determining the feasibility of such research in community mental health settings in Australia. ...

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