Highlights of 2024
Silicosis: many challenges remain despite engineered stone ban
19 November 2024: Thoracic transplant physician Professor Dan Chambers – who pioneered whole lung lavage to treat acute silicosis – and colleagues warn that, as next-generation engineered materials step in to replace banned silica-containing products, new safety concerns may emerge.
Read the full article in The Limbic.
Prof Tamera Corte on 2GB's Healthy Living Show
22 September 2024:As part of Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month Prof Tamera Corte spoke to Dr Ross Walker and Adam Buncher on 2GB’s Healthy Living Show. The interview starts at 20.54 minutes into the show.
Highlighting research on pulmonary fibrosis
23 September 2024: In Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney interviewed Professor Tamera Corte to learn about pulmonary fibrosis and the ongoing efforts to enhance the lifespan.
Research reveals three different pulmonary fibrosis endotypes
25 July 2024: Three distinct blood biomarker signatures in patients with pulmonary fibrosis that are linked with lung function and prognosis have been identified by a group of Australian and international researchers.
Read the full article in The Limbic.
Steroids may do ‘more harm than good’ in fibrotic ILD
17 June 2024: CRE – PF research is the focus of this article on steroid therapy, which appears to be associated with increased risk of mortality among patients with acute exacerbation of fibrotic ILD and should therefore be used judiciously with consideration of other precipitating factors.
Read the full article in The Limbic.
IPF a $300m burden for Australia: health economists
3 May 2024: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis care in Australia costs $299 million per year, with incidence rising over the past two decades, health economists have estimated.
To come up with the figure, researchers, led by Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania, extrapolated the annual costs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) care – estimated at AU$31,655 per person – to the likely prevalence of IPF nationally.
Read the full article in The Limbic.
Short telomeres in ILD not impacting transplant outcomes
26 March 2024: Telomere length does not appear to impact outcomes in patients undergoing lung transplantation for fibrosing lung disease, the TSANZSRS 2024 meeting has heard.
Dr Lai-Ying Zhang presented a retrospective study of all 52 lung transplant recipients at the Queensland Lung Transplant Service who had their peripheral blood telomere length measured via Flow-FISH and had undergone transplantation for a fibrosing lung disease.
Read the full article in The Limbic.
A/Prof Natasha Smallwood elected TSANZ president
12 February 2024: Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood has been named president-elect of TSANZ, commencing the presidency in March 2025.
This will make Associate Professor Smallwood the second woman in a row with appointments at Alfred Health and Monash University to lead the society, following the presidency of Professor Anne Holland.
Read the full article in The Limbic.
Health risks of asbestos contaminated mulch
16 February 2024: A/Prof Nicole Goh, Chair of the CRE-PFs Translation, EDucation and Support (TEDS) sub-committee, was interviewed on 2GB’s Drive with Chris O’Keefe about the health risks of the asbestos contaminated mulch discovered at multiple sites, including parks and schools, around Sydney and NSW.
Transforming the lives of individuals with pulmonary fibrosis
15 February 2024: Prof Tamera Corte and the CRE-PF team are committed to improving and extending the lives of patients living with pulmonary fibrosis across Australia through research, education and treatment.
The University of Sydney interviewed Prof Corte about the work of the CRE-PF to learn how she and the team are advancing understanding and treatment of a range of devastating lung diseases. Read the story here.
New TSANZ position on management of IPF/PPF
1 February 2024: TSANZ has updated its position on the management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and, for the first time, included the treatment of non-IPF progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF).
The position statement, published in Respirology, recognises the important role of anti-fibrotic therapy in both conditions and non-pharmacological therapies, including oxygen and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Read the full article in The Limbic.
Highlights of 2023
National news coverage on Channel 9
22 October 2023: Prof Tamera Corte and Deborah Murray who lives with pulmonary fibrosis were interviewed about new research using the chest scans of hundreds of Australian patients which is transforming the diagnosis of lung disease.
The chest scans of hundreds of Australian patients have been used to transform the diagnosis of lung disease.
Artificial intelligence using the data for the first time to predict a patient's future. @gabyrogers #9News pic.twitter.com/yJkjkacRY3
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) October 23, 2023
National radio coverage for pulmonary fibrosis
24 September 2023: Prof Tamera Corte was interviewed by Dr Ross Walker on the Healthy Living program in an in-depth look at the pressing health issue of pulmonary fibrosis.
Adelaide or Bust - raising funds for pulmonary fibrosis research
22 September 2023: John rode from Busselton to Adelaide in a solo charity cycle to raise funds for pulmonary fibrosis research, an illness close to his heart. Thank you John for this epic effort in support of pulmonary fibrosis research! You can see additional pictures from John’s ride by visiting his Facebook page here.
Groundbreaking new treatment giving hope to those suffering from silicosis
National media coverage on Channel 7 June 2023: Prof Dan Chambers and Scott Newell, who lives with silicosis, were interviewed on Sunrise about research into new treatments giving hope to those suffering from silicosis.
Genetic link found among relatives of patients with damaging lung-scarring disease
Pulmonary fibrosis news story on Channel 9 10 March 2023: Prof Tamera Corte and Trevor Allan who lives with IPF were interviewed about the genetic link found among relatives of patients with damaging lung-scarring disease.
