Volunteers Needed For Asthma Research - Queensland University Of Technology, Australia

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Allergy;  Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 16 Oct 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Researchers looking at different genetic factors which may be at play in people with asthma are looking for volunteers to help with their research at Queensland University of Technology.

Matthew Hadaway, a PhD student in the School of Life Sciences, said the research group he is working with is looking at the genetic make-up of cells and proteins in asthmatics.

"We are researching the biology of asthma, and want to find specific genetic processes involved; the one we are mainly looking at right now is histone acetylation, a process where histones, which help form the structure of DNA, are modified," said Matthew.

"We are trying to work out firstly if there is a difference in the genetic control of asthmatics and non-asthmatics, if there is a difference in histone acetylation in one of the groups, and also work out whether these processes are static or change in disease.

"We are expecting that in asthmatics, changes in acetylation are causing increased production of inflammatory proteins which would cause inflammation in the airways."

He said that when more information was available on whether this process was occurring, treatment may be possible by preventing the over-expression of genes and thus stopping inflammation in the airways of asthmatics.

"We are obviously nowhere near the treatment phase, initially we need to be able to see if histone acetylation is creating these inflammatory proteins in asthmatics so that we can then continue," said Matthew.

"There is little data linking histone acetylation and inflammation in asthma, however it has been shown to be involved in inflammatory processes in other parts of the body, so our research will look at its role in asthma."

He said they are looking for male and female volunteers between 18 and 50 years of age, both asthmatic and non-asthmatic, but otherwise healthy.

There are three testing sessions; the first held a week before the final two, which would be held on the same day.

"Firstly volunteers need to fill in a health questionnaire, then participate in breathing tests, followed by sputum sampling," he said.

"The tests are non-invasive and will enable us to determine lung volumes and flow rates and the effect of induced airway inflammation on the cells, proteins and genes being investigated."

Volunteers will receive a $20 voucher for the QUT bookshop for each session they participate in.

This project has been approved by the University Human Research Ethics Committee and is being funded by the Asthma Foundation Queensland through a research grant awarded to Dr. Colin Solomon of QUT's Faculty of Science, the group leader and Matthew's supervisor.

Anyone wishing to volunteer can contact Matthew by emailing: m.hadaway@student.qut.edu.au or phone: 3138 6250

Queensland University of Technology
http://www.qut.edu.au

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