The 'bible' of allergy updated

Middleton’s Allergy Principles and 

Practice 9th Edition

Since 1978, when the late Elliott Middleton, Jr., together with the founding editors Elliot Ellis and Charles Reed, published the comprehensive book Allergy: Principles and Practice, these two volumes have been the definitive text on allergy practice and disease mechanisms worldwide.

A number of Monash University researchers have contributed to the new 9th edition and Monash's Head of Central Clinical School’s Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Professor Robyn E O’Hehir AO FAHMS, is one of the editors.

11-17 Feb 2020 Central Clinical School recent publications

Monash neuroscience researchers have

published a review of research on long-term 

consequences of TBI in childhood.

Image source: Brainline

Recent publications as notified during the week 11-17 Feb 2020 by PubMed from Central Clinical School affiliated researchers in the following departments. This is not a comprehensive list:

• Australian Centre for Blood Diseases
• Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Immunology and Pathology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Education
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Surgery/NTRI

In the media this week

The 17 Feb 2020 Herald Sun story

DITPA has MS model mice walking again

17/02/2020 Dr Steven Petratos's research, recently funded by Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia (see our story for detail), was profiled in the Herald Sun 17 Feb 2020. Dr Petratos says it's not quite a cure yet, but the drug he has been investigating, DITPA, shows promise for cell re-myelination. It's still in the pre-clinical phase of research; clinical trials with human participants are years away.

Motion machine could improve Parkinson’s symptoms

Progressive supranuclear palsy sufferer, Leanore Aro, working her

balance in the Reviver machine with Dr Ben Sinclair supervising. 

Photo: Kate McPherson

• Clinical trial assesses Parkinson’s benefits from motion machine
• Australian invention tilts users off-balance to activate muscle groups 

Monash University and The Alfred are testing an innovative new machine that could improve the symptoms of people with Parkinson’s Disease using gravity and movement.

The Reviver machine intentionally challenges participants’ sense of balance in a safe and controlled environment. The reaction to being tilted off balance creates a powerful and innate response that can activate muscle groups that have become disengaged.

Cracking the code for hookworm infestation

Professor Nicola Harris

Hookworms infect nearly 700 million people in the world, mostly in countries where sanitation is poor, and people often walk barefoot.

The body's immune system is critical to attacking the hookworm, but these parasites are masters of escape and individuals typically remain infected throughout their lifetime, often resulting in death or complications stemming from anemia.

Monash University researchers have uncovered a key way that hookworms evade the immune system – providing new hope in the search for a vaccine.

Coeliac disease: on the rise or just being reported more?

Professor Peter Gibson asks the question of whether the reported
rise of coeliac disease is due to the rise in incidence or detection.

by Anne Crawford

It’s a question pondered in both medical science and the community: does the rising rate of a chronic disease – in this case, coeliac disease – mean that it is being detected more or is the rate of the disease really rising? Or both?

The distinction is critical to clinical and scientific responses to such changes, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology Professor Peter Gibson argues in a recent opinion piece in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The journal was commemorating landmark studies published over the last decade or two, including that of seminal research on coeliac disease rates by Lohi et al in 2007.

Gene-product therapy a success in cystic fibrosis treatment: review

Professor John Wilson AM is using gene-product modulating
therapy for treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis

by Anne Crawford

Gene-product modulating therapy – treatment addressing gene abnormality by acting on the proteins arising from the gene rather than trying to correct the gene itself – has been attracting considerable scientific attention in recent years.

Monash University’s Professor John Wilson AM, who is using this approach to treat patients with cystic fibrosis, recently reported on the therapy in a comment piece published in Gene Therapy Nature.