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

Preterm birth (PTB) and stillbirth remain two of the most important causes of death, morbidity, and disability in childhood. Despite efforts to reduce PTB and stillbirth worldwide, rates of these adverse outcomes remain persistently elevated, independent of income setting. There is an urgent need for more effective interventions to reduce associated neonatal and early childhood morbidity and mortality. ...

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

Immunity is distinct in early life and greater precision is required in our understanding of mechanisms of early life protection to inform development of new pediatric vaccines ...

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

Baseline signatures might contribute to identifying interventional targets to be modulated prior to vaccination in order to improve vaccination responses ...

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

In Australia, there is a paucity of data about the extent and impact of zoonotic tick-related illnesses. Even less is understood about a multifaceted illness referred to as Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed to Ticks (DSCATT). Here, we describe a research plan for investigating the aetiology, pathophysiology, and clinical outcomes of human tick-associated disease in Australia. ...

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

Vaccines have generally been developed with limited insight into their molecular impact. While systems vaccinology enables characterization of mechanisms of action, these tools have yet to be applied to infants, who are at high risk of infection and receive the most vaccines. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) protects infants against disseminated tuberculosis (TB) and TB-unrelated infections via incompletely understood mechanisms. ...

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