Chief Investigator:

Professor Sandra Hodge

Funding Amount:

$75,000

Recipient:

Hanson Institute

Overview:

Inadequate diagnosis and treatment of recurrent Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis (PBB) may lead to reduced lung function and lower life-expectancy. We have found defective airway macrophage phagocytic function in these children that may contribute to a progression of PBB to bronchiectasis. We also found that the macrophage dysfunction in adults with chronic lung disease is associated with sphingosine signalling and that this system is a therapeutic target for FTY720 and macrolide antibiotics. Translating this data to the paediatric setting has a high likelihood of identifying new therapies.