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Sensitive measures of early lung disease are being integrated into therapeutic trials and clinical practice in cystic fibrosis (CF). The impact of early disease surveillance (EDS) using these novel and often intensive techniques on young children and their families is not well researched.

To investigate feasibility of aquatic high intensity interval training for adolescents with cerebral palsy, who can ambulate independently but may choose a mobility aid in some circumstances.

These findings suggest that genetic variants at the VDR locus may play a role in acute wheeze/asthma severity in children

Investigators: Peter Le Souef Project description There have been almost no studies of the first illness caused by HIV infection. We have recruited

Asthma affects > 10% of children in Australia and New Zealand (NZ), with up to 5% of those having severe disease, presenting a management challenge. We aimed to survey tertiary paediatric respiratory services across Australia and NZ using a custom-designed questionnaire, to conduct a cross-sectional observational study of the numbers of children with problematic severe asthma seen, the number treated with biologic therapy, outpatient clinic/multidisciplinary team services available, investigations and tools routinely used and approaches utilised for transition to adult care.

The airway epithelium is the primary structural and functional airway barrier and orchestrates innate immunity. Some children may have underlying epithelial vulnerabilities that contribute to the pathogenesis of acute wheeze and asthma.

Rhinoviruses (RVs) can cause severe wheezing illnesses in young children and patients with asthma. Vaccine development has been hampered by the multitude of RV types with little information about cross-neutralization. We previously showed that neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses to RV-C are detected twofold to threefold more often than those to RV-A throughout childhood. Based on those findings, we hypothesized that RV-C infections are more likely to induce either cross-neutralizing or longer-lasting antibody responses compared with RV-A infections.

Respiratory infection and wheezing illness are leading causes of hospitalisation in childhood, placing a significant burden on families and healthcare systems. However, reliably distinguishing children at risk of developing persistent disease from those likely to outgrow their symptoms remains a clinical challenge. Earlier identification would allow clinicians to focus care and resources on those most likely to benefit from long-term management, while reducing anxiety and uncertainty about the future for families.

Impaired interferon response and allergic sensitization may contribute to virus-induced wheeze and asthma development in young children. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells play a key role in antiviral immunity as critical producers of type I interferons. 

Health outcomes for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples are very poor. This is considerably worse in remote regions. The East Pilbara, where the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of the Martu and Nyiyaparli people reside, is one such remote region.