Published Tuesday, 10 July, 2007 at 02:15 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Queensland asthma and allergy research gets funding boost
New research into treatments for asthma and allergies will be undertaken in Brisbane thanks to funding from the Queensland Government.
Minister for State Development John Mickel today announced Professor John Upham from the Princess Alexandra Hospital was awarded a Queensland Clinical Research Fellowship (QCRF) and would receive $300,000 over three years.
“Professor Upham will use the funding to further investigate the use of bacteria components to treat asthma and allergies,” Mr Mickel said.
“Asthma is Australia's most widespread chronic health problem, affecting more than two million people. And hay fever, for example, a common allergy to pollen, affects two in five people in the country.
“While current treatments such as antihistamines and corticosteroids improve symptoms, the benefits last only as long as the medications are taken.
“Immunotherapy treatment is also available. This involves a patient being injected over time with increasing amounts of a particular allergen - such as pollen, dust mites or mould spores – so their body adjusts and becomes more tolerant. This process is called desensitisation.
“This kind of treatment has the potential to induce long-term tolerance, however there are a number of significant side effects and the treatment can often take several years.”
Prof Upham said his research aimed to find a new way to desensitise people with asthma or allergies.
“I’ve undertaken laboratory experiments and published data showing that lipoproteins from the cell walls of common bacteria reduce allergic inflammation,” Prof Upham said.
“The bacterial lipoprotein basically boosts immunity by changing the way special immune cells, called dendritic cells, behave.
“We now want to find out more about how this process works and the extent of its effectiveness.
“The research will help us get a better idea of whether it’s going to be useful when tested in real life and applied to patients with asthma of different grades of severity, and to both adults and children.
“The first stage of clinical trials of a potential treatment could be around two years away.
“The ultimate aim is to develop a treatment that people could use for a short time to cure asthma or allergies rather than having to take medication to manage the symptoms.”
The QCRF are part of the Queensland Government’s Smart State Health and Medical Research Fund, a $4.7 million investment program launched in 2004 to strengthen the State’s health and medical research capacity.
Mr Mickel is hosting a special reception at 3pm today for the latest recipients of the QCRF and Smart State Fellowship programs at the Queensland Room, the Executive Building, 100 George Street, Brisbane.
“The Queensland Government has invested more than $3 billion in innovation, science and research since 1998. I think this demonstrates our deep and ongoing commitment to maintaining Queensland’s reputation as the Smart State,” Mr Mickel said.
Contact details for Professor John Upham: 07 3240 7798, John_Upham@health.qld.gov.au
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784
10 July, 2007
Minister for State Development John Mickel today announced Professor John Upham from the Princess Alexandra Hospital was awarded a Queensland Clinical Research Fellowship (QCRF) and would receive $300,000 over three years.
“Professor Upham will use the funding to further investigate the use of bacteria components to treat asthma and allergies,” Mr Mickel said.
“Asthma is Australia's most widespread chronic health problem, affecting more than two million people. And hay fever, for example, a common allergy to pollen, affects two in five people in the country.
“While current treatments such as antihistamines and corticosteroids improve symptoms, the benefits last only as long as the medications are taken.
“Immunotherapy treatment is also available. This involves a patient being injected over time with increasing amounts of a particular allergen - such as pollen, dust mites or mould spores – so their body adjusts and becomes more tolerant. This process is called desensitisation.
“This kind of treatment has the potential to induce long-term tolerance, however there are a number of significant side effects and the treatment can often take several years.”
Prof Upham said his research aimed to find a new way to desensitise people with asthma or allergies.
“I’ve undertaken laboratory experiments and published data showing that lipoproteins from the cell walls of common bacteria reduce allergic inflammation,” Prof Upham said.
“The bacterial lipoprotein basically boosts immunity by changing the way special immune cells, called dendritic cells, behave.
“We now want to find out more about how this process works and the extent of its effectiveness.
“The research will help us get a better idea of whether it’s going to be useful when tested in real life and applied to patients with asthma of different grades of severity, and to both adults and children.
“The first stage of clinical trials of a potential treatment could be around two years away.
“The ultimate aim is to develop a treatment that people could use for a short time to cure asthma or allergies rather than having to take medication to manage the symptoms.”
The QCRF are part of the Queensland Government’s Smart State Health and Medical Research Fund, a $4.7 million investment program launched in 2004 to strengthen the State’s health and medical research capacity.
Mr Mickel is hosting a special reception at 3pm today for the latest recipients of the QCRF and Smart State Fellowship programs at the Queensland Room, the Executive Building, 100 George Street, Brisbane.
“The Queensland Government has invested more than $3 billion in innovation, science and research since 1998. I think this demonstrates our deep and ongoing commitment to maintaining Queensland’s reputation as the Smart State,” Mr Mickel said.
Contact details for Professor John Upham: 07 3240 7798, John_Upham@health.qld.gov.au
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784
10 July, 2007