A new program that uses cutting edge stem cell techniques to repair lung damage in children will be established at The Kids Research Institute Australia with support from the Telethon-Perth Children’s Hospital Research Fund (TPCHRF).
Health Minister Roger Cook today announced half a million dollars funding toward the establishment of the ReGenWA program that aims to build capacity in regenerative and genetic medicine for children with respiratory disease.
Led by the head of The Kids Centre for Respiratory Research, Professor Stephen Stick, ReGenWA will be the first program of its type in Australia focussed on childhood lung disease.
Professor Stick said the program aims to accelerate the development of novel treatments for respiratory diseases like asthma, cystic fibrosis and rare genetic lung disease.
“ReGenWA will explore the use of cutting-edge stem cell techniques to repair damaged lungs and will develop unique gene repair technologies and engineered tissue replacement therapies,” he said.
“The additional capability that ReGenWA will provide, together with existing stem cell and genetic expertise, will position WA as international leaders in the field that are using cutting-edge platforms to investigate and develop these novel treatments for lung diseases.”
The Institute also secured a further $1.2 million in TPCHRF funding to support research in the areas of respiratory health, rheumatic fever, ear health and antibiotic resistant infection as follows:
- Timothy Barnett – Progress towards a cytokine-release assay for the diagnosis of Acute Rheumatic Fever $249,900
- Chris Brennan-Jones – EAR Portal: A randomised waitlist-controlled trial of an urban-based ENT and Audiology Referral (EAR) Telehealth Portal to provide equitable access to specialist ear health services for children. (Stream 1a special initiative) $241,400
- Graham Hall – Preventing perioperative respiratory complications in children with recurrent respiratory symptoms $232,700
- Anthony Kicic – Developing a novel therapeutics pipeline for antibiotic resistant infections in children (Stream 1a special initiative) $248,000
- Ingrid Laing – Persistent respiratory exacerbation phenotype – clinical impact and biological signature replication $249,000
The Kids researchers are also investigators on a TPCHRF-funded project led by the Western Australian Health Department’s Clinical Associate Professor John Wray, which will trial group-based very early intervention for infants with autism risk behaviours.
The Kids Research Institute Australia Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis thanked the fund for its support and congratulated those who were awarded grants.
“We’re extremely grateful to the fund for supporting such innovative research here in Western Australia. The Institute is very proud to house such outstanding researchers and these grants will enable them to continue their work to improve the health and development of children and their families across the country.”
The TPCHRF was established by the Department of Health and the Channel 7 Telethon Trust to provide financial support to research projects that focus on the health of children and adolescents in WA.
You can view the full list of 2018 recipients here.
