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.

4-10 Feb 2020 Central Clinical School recent publications

2019 Tarlinton group L-R: Mr Sean Lim, Ms Alexandra Dvorscek, 

Dr Isaak Quast, Dr Erica Brodie, Ms Kristy O'Donnell, 

Dr Zoe Ding, Professor David Tarlinton, Ms Cathy Pitt, 

Dr Marcus Robinson, Ms Rohia Farighi, Ms Darshana Cherian, 

Ms Penny Konstandopoulos, Dr Dimitra Zotos. 

The bolded group members are authors of a publication 

on B cell behaviour in Cell Reports.

Recent publications as notified by PubMed from Central Clinical School affiliated researchers in the following departments. This is not a comprehensive list:

• Australian Centre for Blood Diseases
• Diabetes
• Immunology and Pathology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medicine - Alfred
• Medicine - Peninsula
• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Surgery

Congratulations to Dr CK Yao on her Angela McAvoy Research Scholarship

Dr CK Yao

Source: www.crohnsandcolitis.com.au/research/cca-grants-awards/angela-mcavoy-fellowship/

Congratulations to Dr CK Yao, an experienced research dietitian in the Department of Gastroenterology, Monash University, who has been awarded a prestigious three-year scholarship by the Crohn’s & Colitis Australia (CCA) national peak patient body.

A Research Scholarship of $25,000 per year for 3 years is offered in recognition of the pioneering work of Angela McAvoy AM, who founded CCA.

Congratulations to Dr Jyoti Prasad on her PhD award!

Dr Jyoti Prasad

Congratulations to Dr Jyoti Prasad on the award of her PhD on 5 February 2020! Jyoti was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree for her thesis, "Defining clinically meaningful outcomes in Pulmonary Fibrosis".

Jyoti was supervised by Professor Glen Westall, Professor Anne Holland and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor Ian Glaspole in CCS's Departments of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, and of Medicine.

Participants sought: Balance development for Parkinson's patients using a Reviver

Dr Ben Sinclair supervising a participant

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) involves a range of motor deficits which can be treated with physical activity. The Reviver is an Australian-developed vestibular-stimulation, isometric-exercise machine which allows impaired individuals to perform isometric exercise far beyond their unassisted capacity.

We aim to test whether an intervention using the Reviver can improve the symptoms of PD, and to discern the physiological and neural underpinnings of any such improvement.

Contact Dr Ben Sinclair:
Email ben.sinclair@monash.edu, ph 02 95242188, Web www.monash.edu/medicine/ccs/neuroscience/research/law-group/ben-sinclair

Participants sought: Have you been affected by miscarriage?

Seeking those affected by miscarriage for study on improving support

Have you been affected by miscarriage? Women, partners and family members affected by miscarriage more than 3 months ago but within the last 2 years are invited to participate in a research study to help gain a better understanding of what information, advice, support and resources would be most helpful after miscarriage. Participants are invited to be part of a community discussion on how we can improve miscarriage support. One on one interviews can also be arranged. Any information you provide to us is strictly confidential.

18 February National Drug Discovery Centre information session

The National Drug Discovery Centre (NDDC) is open to the whole Australian medical research community, to increase Australian medical researchers’ ability to address critical early challenges in the drug discovery pipeline.

The NDCC is holding a free information session 11 am -12 noon Tuesday 18 Feb at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Clayton, and Q&A for researchers wishing to apply for highly subsidised (90%) high-throughput screenings to advance their drug discovery projects. Register for session.

Position vacant: Research Fellow - Membrane Protein Biochemistry and Structure

The Hamilton Lab in the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases are looking for a Research Fellow - Membrane Protein Biochemistry and Structure. Please see LinkedIn post for detail:

www.linkedin.com/jobs/cap/view/1713565315