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Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

Funding from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation will support world class researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia to improve the health and wellbeing of WA children facing serious health challenges.

Today, 24 January 2025, is International Day of Education, a global celebration of the power of learning to transform lives. This year’s theme, “AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in an Automated World”, underscores the critical role of education in preparing kids for a future increasingly shaped by AI.

A new study is helping to identify treatment options to improve the lung function of premature babies, after it was determined survivors of preterm birth were at risk of declining lung health.

In a world being urged to embrace renewable options, biodiesel fuels are increasingly being touted as a greener, cleaner choice than traditional diesel.

The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers will share in $2.3 million awarded by the Western Australian Department of Health Innovation Seed Fund.

Researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia will lead a world first trial to test the effectiveness of the drug interferon in stopping outbreaks of COVID-19 by reducing the infectiousness of people who contract the virus.

The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers have been awarded nearly $8.5 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

The immunological mechanisms that contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) differ between males and females. Females are 2-3 times more likely to develop MS compared to males, however the reason for this discrepancy is unknown. Once MS is established, there is a more inflammatory yet milder form of disease in females whereas males generally suffer from more severe disease and faster progression, neural degradation, and disability.

B cells are critical to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), but the mechanisms by which they contribute to the disease are poorly defined. We hypothesised that the expression of CD32b (FcγRIIb), a receptor for the Fc region of IgG with inhibitory activities in B cells, is lower on B cell subsets from people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or MS. CD32b expression was highest on post-naive IgM+ B cell subsets in healthy controls. For females with MS or CIS, significantly lower CD32b expression was identified on IgM+ B cell subsets, including naive and IgMhi MZ-like B cells, when compared with control females. Lower CD32b expression on these B cell subsets was associated with detectable anti-Epstein Barr Virus viral capsid antigen IgM antibodies, and higher serum levels of B cell activating factor. To investigate the effects of lower CD32b expression, B cells were polyclonally activated in the presence of IgG immune complexes, with or without a CD32b blocking antibody, and the expression of TNF and IL-10 in B cell subsets was assessed.