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Research

Vitamin D deficiency and the lung: Disease initiator or disease modifier?

Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health problem and has been associated with an increased incidence and severity of many diseases including diseases...

Research

The mechanism or mechanisms driving atopic asthma initiation: The infant respiratory microbiome moves to center stage

Although debate surrounding the mechanism or mechanisms governing this causal pathway remains intense, demonstration of the capacity of pretreatment...

Research

Defective function at the epithelial junction: A novel therapeutic frontier in asthma?

The airway epithelium forms a highly regulated physical barrier that normally prevents invasion of inhaled pathogens and allergens from the airway lumen.

Research

Toll-like receptor 7 function is reduced in adolescents with asthma

Anti-viral innate immune responses may be impaired in asthma, although the mechanisms are not well understood.

Research

Th2-associated immunity to bacteria in asthma in teenagers and susceptibility to asthma

Bacterial colonisation of the airways is associated with increased risk of childhood asthma

Research

Boosting airway T-regulatory cells by gastrointestinal stimulation as a strategy for asthma control

The hallmark of atopic asthma is transient airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR) preceded by aeroallergen-induced Th-cell activation.

Research

Stiffness Mediated-Mechanosensation of Airway Smooth Muscle Cells on Linear Stiffness Gradient Hydrogels

In obstructive airway diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein amount and composition of the airway smooth muscle (ASM) is often remodelled, likely altering tissue stiffness. The underlying mechanism of how human ASM cell (hASMC) mechanosenses the aberrant microenvironment is not well understood.

Research

LPS binding protein and activation signatures are upregulated during asthma exacerbations in children

Asthma exacerbations in children are associated with respiratory viral infection and atopy, resulting in systemic immune activation and infiltration of immune cells into the airways. The gene networks driving the immune activation and subsequent migration of immune cells into the airways remains incompletely understood. Cellular and molecular profiling of PBMC was employed on paired samples obtained from atopic asthmatic children during acute virus-associated exacerbations and later during convalescence.

Research

Quantifying airway remodelling for research or clinical purposes: How should we normalize for airway size?

Citation: Donovan GM, Wang KCW, Elliot JG, James AL, Noble PB. Quantifying airway remodelling for research or clinical purposes: How should we

Research

Viral Induced Effects on a Vulnerable Epithelium; Lessons Learned From Paediatric Asthma and Eosinophilic Oesophagitis

The epithelium is integral to the protection of many different biological systems and for the maintenance of biochemical homeostasis. Emerging evidence suggests that particular children have epithelial vulnerabilities leading to dysregulated barrier function and integrity, that resultantly contributes to disease pathogenesis.