Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre
Team
Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology projects
Reports and Findings
Editorial: The relationship between puberty and immune-driven disease
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.
Asthma Published research Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology Allergy Immune systemAssessing neutrophil subsets in autoimmune disease: Moving away from relying on density?
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.
Published research Early Childhood Development Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology Inflammation Immune systemMaking a SmartStart for peanut introduction to support food allergy prevention guidelines for infants
Food allergy affects up to 10% of Australian infants. It was hypothesized that if parents follow the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy guidelines, Australian food allergy rates may stabilize or decline.
Published research Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology Food AllergyLPS 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.
Asthma Published research Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology Human Immunology P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Subsite: Walyan Children’s Respiratory Science Immune system