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Research
Identifying pediatric lung disease: A comparison of forced oscillation technique outcomesThese findings suggest the utility of specific FOT outcomes is dependent on the respiratory disease being assessed
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Prevention of Allergy/Asthma - New StrategiesThis review focuses on the scientific rationale for early intervention aimed at asthma prophylaxis and discusses therapeutic approaches
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Differential gene network analysis for the identification of asthma-associated therapeutic targets in allergen-specific T-helper memory responsesDifferential network analysis of allergen-induced CD4 T cell responses can unmask covert disease-associated genes and pin point novel therapeutic targets
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Developmental regulation of type 1 and type 3 interferon production and risk for infant infections and asthma developmentType 1 and 3 interferon response capacity appears strongly developmentally constrained at birth
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Basophil counts in PBMC populations during childhood acute wheeze/asthma are associated with future exacerbationsOur findings suggest that the proportion of degranulated basophils can also be associated with recurrent exacerbations
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Insights into respiratory disease through bioinformaticsHere, we review the basic concepts in bioinformatics and genomic data analysis and illustrate the application of these tools to further our understanding of lung diseases

The Respiratory Environmental Health team conducts research in early life determinants of lung growth and development, respiratory environmental health, and mechanisms of airway dysfunction in asthma and other respiratory disease.
Research
Respiratory infection- and asthma-prone, low vaccine responder children demonstrate distinct mononuclear cell DNA methylation pathwaysnfants with frequent viral and bacterial respiratory infections exhibit compromised immunity to routine immunizations. They are also more likely to develop chronic respiratory diseases in later childhood. This study investigated the feasibility of epigenetic profiling to reveal endotype-specific molecular pathways with potential for early identification and immuno-modulation.
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Global change, climate change, and asthma in children: Direct and indirect effects - A WAO Pediatric Asthma Committee ReportThe twenty-first century has seen a fundamental shift in disease epidemiology with anthropogenic environmental change emerging as the likely dominant factor affecting the distribution and severity of current and future human disease. This is especially true of allergic diseases and asthma with their intimate relationship with the natural environment.
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ACE2 expression is elevated in airway epithelial cells from older and male healthy individuals but reduced in asthmaCOVID-19 is complicated by acute lung injury, and death in some individuals. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2 that requires the ACE2 receptor and serine proteases to enter AEC. We determined what factors are associated with ACE2 expression particularly in patients with asthma and COPD. We obtained lower AEC from 145 people from two independent cohorts, aged 2-89 years, Newcastle (n = 115) and Perth (n = 30), Australia. The Newcastle cohort was enriched with people with asthma (n = 37) and COPD (n = 38). Gene expression for ACE2 and other genes potentially associated with SARS-CoV-2 cell entry was assessed by qPCR, and protein expression was confirmed with immunohistochemistry on endobronchial biopsies and cultured AEC.