In 2017, almost one million children fell ill and over 200,000 children under 15 died of tuberculosis, according to the latest WHO Roadmap. The report also identifies a previously underreported challenge, TB in adolescents.
University of Melbourne researcher Ms Kathryn Snow has estimated that about 1.8 million young people develop TB every year comprising [continue reading…]
In the 1950s and 1960s Australians were accustomed to having regular chest x-rays in a caravan, parked in their suburb, to screen for TB. During this time TB almost (but not quite) disappeared from Australia and the program was phased out.
Now Australian researchers from the Centenary Institute, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and the Centre of Research Excellence on TB Control will assess the potential for a similar program of regular community-wide screening to have the same impact on TB in Vietnam, a country in which TB is still very common and costs many lives. However, instead of x-rays the team will use a new molecular test that is performed on sputum coughed up from patient’s lungs to detect TB. They hope their work will serve as a model for countries with a high burden of TB in our region and elsewhere.
Embargo: 10.30 am Monday 18 February
Melbourne researchers are turning skin cells into eye cells to help them understand an incurable form of blindness that affects one in seven older Australians.
Hear more on Monday at the launch of the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia, a new charity that is supporting stem cell research, and informing the community of the potential opportunities, and the present dangers of stem cell medicine. [continue reading…]
A Sydney astronomer Amanda Bauer has discovered and studied a distant cluster of galaxies to find out how galaxies evolve and interact with their neighbours. Her work will help explain the fate of our own Milky Way.
This intergalactic yarn is our latest Fresh Science story. More next week.
Australia and India will work together to study the impact on cerebral malaria of the major ingredient of turmeric, curcumin.
Dr Saparna Pai from the Centenary Institute in Sydney is off to New Delhi for the study.
Centenary is also celebrating over $5 million in grants for research into cardiology, TB, aging and immunology.
And the Prime Minister’s Prizes are approaching – 31 October with a 5 pm embargo. Details if you need them will be available on embargo from tomorrow.
Welcoming a funding boost announced by Health Minister Plibersek today, Professor Warwick Britton, head of Centenary Institute’s tuberculosis research program, said, “We need to be helping countries like Papua New Guinea come to grips with the problems of TB control. [continue reading…]
A $1.2 million high-containment laboratory opening today in Sydney will allow researchers to double their efforts to understand and fight back against TB, a bacterium that lives inside two billion people worldwide and kills three people every minute.Images available here of the high-biosecurity lab before we lock up and start work with TB.
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