Generating new knowledge
Ig replacement to prevent infections
In myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, low serum immunoglobulin develops very frequently and is associated with recurrent and/or severe bacterial, fungal & viral infections and a high proportion of deaths. When serious infections do occur, they are complex and costly to manage, and impair cancer treatment delivery. As the largest single group of conditions using immunoglobulin therapy in Australia, urgent research is needed in this group to build the evidence base to inform Ig use and practice.
High-dose (immunomodulatory) Ig
This stream focusses on two exemplar immune and inflammatory conditions, where numbers of patients are smaller, but Ig is used in high doses and is currently central to management. Using our established cohort studies in Kawasaki Diseases and myasthenia gravis, we will expand our research to examine Ig service delivery and the model the impact (including costs to the health sector) of potential changes in epidemiology and the future availability of new targeted therapies. These approaches will be adaptable to a wide range of other conditions for which high-dose Ig is used.
Research translation
