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News & Events
Kids cancer champion nominated for WA Australian of the YearDr Nick Gottardo, Co-Head of The Kids Research Institute Australia's Brain Tumour Research Team, has been announced a nominee for the 2018 WA Australian of the Year Award
News & Events
Funding boost for childhood cancer research projectsProjects to improve outcomes for leukaemia patients and reduce skin cancer rates in young Aboriginal people have received funding through Cancer Council WA.
News & Events
Immunotherapy drug dramatically improves survival for babies with rare leukaemiaA pilot clinical study, led in Australia by a The Kids Research Institute Australia and Perth Children's Hospital researcher, has found an immunotherapy drug can dramatically increase survival rates for babies with a rare form of leukaemia, paving the way for a major international clinical trial.
News & Events
Homeward bound: The Kids Research Institute Australia researcher taking on scientific leadership challengeThe Kids Research Institute Australia researcher, Dr Anya Jones, will join some of the world’s brightest female scientists after being selected to take part in a global project to amplify the voices of women in science leadership.
News & Events
Child health research set to benefit from national grantsResearchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia have been awarded $4.6 million in national funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to help support child health research.
Research
A surgically optimized intraoperative poly(I:C)-releasing hydrogel prevents cancer recurrenceRecurrences frequently occur following surgical removal of primary tumors. In many cancers, adjuvant therapies have limited efficacy. Surgery provides access to the tumor microenvironment, creating an opportunity for local therapy, in particular immunotherapy, which can induce local and systemic anti-cancer effects.
Research
Prognostic significance of molecular subgroups in survival outcome for children with medulloblastoma in MalaysiaAdvancements in genomic profiling led to the discovery of four major molecular subgroups in medulloblastoma (MB), which have now been incorporated into the World Health Organization classification of central nervous system tumors. The current study aimed to determine the prognostic significance of the MB molecular subgroups among children in Malaysia.
Research
Grandparents’ Experiences of Childhood Cancer: A Qualitative StudyA child's cancer diagnosis has a significant impact on the lives of grandparents. Grandparents experience the stress of worrying about both their adult children and their grandchildren. Our study aimed to explore the lived experience of grandparents of children diagnosed with cancer.
Research
Outcomes for Australian children with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treated with blinatumomabWe report on the Australian experience of blinatumomab for treatment of 24 children with relapsed/refractory precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) and high-risk genetics, resulting in a minimal residual disease (MRD) response rate of 58%, 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) of 39% and 2-year overall survival of 63%. In total, 83% (n = 20/24) proceeded to haematopoietic stem cell transplant, directly after blinatumomab (n = 12) or following additional salvage therapy (n = 8).
Research
Small-molecule screen reveals synergy of cell cycle checkpoint kinase inhibitors with DNA-damaging chemotherapies in medulloblastomaMedulloblastoma (MB) consists of four core molecular subgroups with distinct clinical features and prognoses. Treatment consists of surgery, followed by radiotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Despite this intensive approach, outcome remains dismal for patients with certain subtypes of MB, namely, MYC-amplified Group 3 and TP53-mutated SHH. Using high-throughput assays, six human MB cell lines were screened against a library of 3208 unique compounds. We identified 45 effective compounds from the screen and found that cell cycle checkpoint kinase (CHK1/2) inhibition synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic activity of clinically used chemotherapeutics cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and gemcitabine.