CPB Contractors General Manager Safety, Health, Environment, and Sustainability (SHES), Graeme Silvester, General Manager Tunnelling, Glyn Edwards and Group Manager, Health, Wellbeing and Occupational Hygiene, Amanda Budd, had the privilege of visiting researchers supported in part by The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation through its initiative The Tradie Health Institute, to see first-hand the extraordinary work being carried out as a result of CPB Contractors and other donors support.
This team of internationally renowned scientists, based in the Queensland Lung Transplant Service laboratory at The Prince Charles Hospital, is carrying out groundbreaking work under the guidance of Professor Dan Chambers. Their efforts revolve around pioneering new research, treatments and detection methods to protect the lives and livelihoods of people affected by silicosis.
Recognising the urgent need to support research into less invasive and more impactful detection methods for silicosis as well as advanced treatments to create better health outcomes for tradies and their families, CPB Contractors is blown away by the revolutionary work rapidly progressing at what is considered to be one of Australia’s leading lung research facilities.
Lung lavage treatment
In 2020, supported by the Tradie Health Institute initiative and the Australian Medical Research Future Fund, the world’s first lung lavage trial started at The Prince Charles Hospital for patients diagnosed with silicosis. The procedure involves a single lung being flushed with a 25-litre salt-water solution while the other lung is supported through ventilation. The flushing process removes cells and dust particles, including silica, from the patient’s lungs.
Five years on, the team has treated 27 young Queenslanders, with excellent early results. Later this year, the team will be able to compare outcomes for the Queensland tradies who received the lung lavage to a similar group of Spanish tradies who didn’t, to see whether the treatment is beneficial over the longer term.
The close proximity of The Prince of Charles Hospital’s operating theatres to the research lab, also enables Professor Chambers and his team to analyse the fluid immediately after being taken from the lungs. “Not only are we developing a game-changing new lung lavage treatment for patients diagnosed with silicosis and other lung diseases, our team is also able to analyse samples of fluid to support the development of a new drug to repair the scar tissue within the patient’s lungs, as well as identify the make-up of proteins related to silica, supporting our early research into earlier, less invasive detection of the disease.”
Genetic sequencing
Recognising the role a person’s genetic DNA plays in contracting silicosis and in the progression of the disease, Professor Chambers and his team have been conducting research linking telomeres to silicosis. Results reveal that someone whose genetics show telomere shortening is five times more likely to develop silicosis. This critical finding explains why one worker who has had the exact same exposure to silica as their colleague contracts the disease, while the other person doesn’t. Further development of this research may enable testing of individuals prior to commencing work to look at their telomeres and identify if they are at high risk of contracting the disease, while researchers supported by the Tradie Health Institute initiative are also looking at treatments to rebuild or lengthen the telomeres to prevent the disease from progressing further.
The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation’s CEO, Steve Francia, thanked CPB Contractors for its commitment to improving health outcomes for those impacted by occupational lung disease and silicosis, “We’re incredibly proud of the work being carried out by Professor Dan Chambers and his team of scientists, and the time they can dedicate to this work simply wouldn’t be possible without the support of companies like CPB Contractors,” Mr Francia said.
“Their investment in the research and foresight to genuinely move the dial is supporting important work towards advancing tangible, impactful detection and treatment outcomes. The Whole Lung Lavage trials and telomere research present major steps forward in developing treatments and preventative measures for silicosis and are true to our mission of helping people live healthier for longer.”