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Research

Premature onset of type 2 diabetes and excess mortality are critical issues internationally, particularly in Indigenous populations. There is an urgent need for developmentally appropriate and culturally safe models of care. We describe the methods for the codesign, implementation and evaluation of enhanced models of care with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth living with type 2 diabetes across Northern Australia. 

Research

The search for novel microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers in plasma is hampered by haemolysis, the lysis and subsequent release of red blood cell contents, including miRNAs, into surrounding fluid. The biomarker potential of miRNAs comes in part from their multicompartment origin and the long-lived nature of miRNA transcripts in plasma, giving researchers a functional window for tissues that are otherwise difficult or disadvantageous to sample.

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Paediatric cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in Australian children. Limited research focuses on cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Although there appears to be a lower incidence of cancer overall in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children compared with non-Indigenous children, a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.

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Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is a highly heterogeneous malignancy characterised by various genomic alterations that influence disease progression and therapeutic outcomes. Gene fusions involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene represent a complex and diverse category.

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The rise of sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) studies has opened new possibilities for studying past environments. This groundbreaking area of genomics uses sediments to identify organisms, even in cases where macroscopic remains no longer exist. Managing this substrate in Indigenous Australian contexts, however, requires special considerations. Sediments and soils are often considered as waste by-products during archaeological and paleontological excavations and are not typically regulated by the same ethics guidelines utilised in mainstream 'western' research paradigms.

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Type I regulatory (Tr1) cells are defined as FOXP3-IL-10-secreting clusters of differentiation (CD4+) T cells that contribute to immune suppression and typically express the markers LAG-3 and CD49b and other co-inhibitory receptors. These cells have not been studied in detail in the context of the resolution of acute infection in the lung.

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Indigenous peoples in high income countries are disproportionately affected by Type 2 Diabetes. Socioeconomic disadvantages and inadequate access to appropriate healthcare are important contributors.

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Improving the health of Indigenous adolescents is central to addressing the health inequities faced by Indigenous peoples. To achieve this, it is critical to understand what is needed from the perspectives of Indigenous adolescents themselves. There have been many qualitative studies that capture the perspectives of Indigenous young people, but synthesis of these has been limited to date. 

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Alcohol consumption in pregnancy can affect genome regulation in the developing offspring but results have been contradictory. We employed a physiologically relevant murine model of short-term moderate prenatal alcohol exposure resembling common patterns of alcohol consumption in pregnancy in humans. 

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The Northern Territory and Far North Queensland have a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women birthing who experience hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. A multi-component health systems intervention to improve antenatal and postpartum care in these regions for women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy was implemented between 2016 and 2019.