AIFA’s LATEST FUNDING ROUND SUPPORTS RESEARCH INTO ALLERGIC ASTHMA

The Allergy and Immunology Foundation of Australasia (AIFA) is pleased to announce that the 2018 AIFA research grants has been awarded to Dr Md. Ashik Ullah of QIMR Berghofer in Queensland.  

AIFA received a total of 21 expressions of interest for the 2018 grants round, spanning food allergy, antibiotic allergy, allergic asthma, common variable immune deficiency (CVID), Graves Disease and anaphylaxis.  

After a lengthy and difficult selection process, the AIFA Board is pleased to announce that a project entitled “P2RY13 – a novel therapeutic target for allergic asthma” led by Dr Md Ashik Ullah of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has been chosen as the recipient of a $30,000 AIFA research grant. This brings the total AIFA grant figure to $160,000 in the last 5 years.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting millions of Australians. There is no cure for asthma and current treatment options for asthma are merely supportive. Asthma affects people of all ages, but most often starts during childhood. Sensitisation to allergens is one of the major risk factors for asthma onset. Dr Ullah, a respiratory immunologist, is investigating the consequences of allergen exposure in the lungs and the processes that predispose to allergic sensitisation. 

The airway lumen of the lungs is lined by airway epithelial cells, which in response to allergen exposure, release innate inflammatory mediators or ‘alarmins’. Dr Ullah has shown that these alarmins promote the allergic inflammation that contributes to airway wall remodelling and bronchoconstriction, making it difficult to breathe. A potential treatment approach therefore would be to halt the release of alarmins. Dr Ullah has novel data to suggest that the purinergic receptor P2RY13 regulates alarmin release from airway epithelial cells. 

Dr Ullah will investigate whether the antagonism of P2RY13 attenuates the release of alarmins in response to different allergens. Ultimately, these findings could lead to the development of new therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of asthma. 

AIFA Chair Dr Melanie Wong said that this project has the potential to make real progress in the area of allergic asthma and AIFA is pleased to be supporting Dr Ullah’s work.  

For information about how to get involved in this and other funded research projects visit www.allergyimmunology.org.au/projects 

About AIFA 

Allergies and other immune diseases are amongst the fastest growing chronic health conditions affecting as many as 1 in 4 Australians.  AIFA is an initiative of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) a World Allergy Organisation member society.  AIFA is dedicated to funding medical research and raising public awareness about allergy and other immune diseases.  We are striving for earlier diagnosis, strategies for prevention, better treatments and potential cures.

About QIMR Berghofer

QIMR Berghofer is one of Australia’s most successful medical research institutes. The Institute was established 70 years ago by the Queensland Government and has a rich history of scientific discoveries and translational medical research.

QIMR Berghofer is focused on improving health by developing new diagnostics, better treatments and prevention strategies, specifically in the areas of cancer, infectious diseases, mental health and chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma.

Working in close collaboration with clinicians and other research institutes, QIMR Berghofer is home to approximately 900 scientists, support staff and students.