Contribution of systemic inflammatory response to brain injury in growth restricted newborns

Chief Investigators: Wixey J, Bjorkman ST, Colditz P, Burke C

Funding source: Children’s Hospital Foundation (2017)

Hypothesis: Inflammation is prevalent in the IUGR neonatal blood and brain and is associated with neuronal injury and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Design: In a pre-clinical piglet model of IUGR we will: 1) Investigate the neuropathology and inflammatory mechanisms that underpin IUGR induced brain injury; 2) Examine alterations to BBB transport in the IUGR piglet brain; and 3) Establish the efficacy of an anti-inflammatory intervention on brain outcomes in the IUGR piglet

New knowledge: Assessing whether inflammatory blood markers correlate with adverse changes in the brain will be a major advance in the biomarker field. This study will establish whether elevations in blood inflammatory markers correlate with inflammation in the brain, neuronal injury and adverse neurological outcome in the IUGR neonate and whether anti-inflammatory treatment can prevent adverse brain outcomes.

Project weblink at the Perinatal Research Centre, UQ.