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B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) is characterised by diverse genomic alterations, the most frequent being gene fusions detected via transcriptomic analysis (mRNA-seq). Due to its hypervariable nature, gene fusions involving the Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain (IGH) locus can be difficult to detect with standard gene fusion calling algorithms and significant computational resources and analysis times are required. We aimed to optimize a gene fusion calling workflow to achieve best-case sensitivity for IGH gene fusion detection.
Chemotherapy is included in treatment regimens for many solid cancers, but when administered as a single agent it is rarely curative. The addition of immune checkpoint therapy to standard chemotherapy regimens has improved response rates and increased survival in some cancers. However, most patients do not respond to treatment and immune checkpoint therapy can cause severe side effects. Therefore, there is a need for alternative immunomodulatory drugs that enhance chemotherapy.
Acute leukemia continues to be a major cause of death from disease worldwide and current chemotherapeutic agents are associated with significant morbidity in survivors. While better and safer treatments for acute leukemia are urgently needed, standard drug development pipelines are lengthy and drug repurposing therefore provides a promising approach.
The Cancer Immunology team at The Kids is investigating how the body's 'natural killer' cells can be harnessed to fight cancer – whilst also protecting kids from nasty chemotherapy side effects.
Three The Kids researchers are collaborating on a cancer research project that has been awarded a $1.75mill grant by the Australian Cancer Research Fund.
Ethan was not even two when he was diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumour known as an ependymoma.
A global plan to tackle one of the most aggressive types of childhood brain tumours will be developed as a result of a meeting of international experts in WA.
Pineoblastoma is a rare pineal region brain tumor. Treatment strategies have reflected those for other malignant embryonal brain tumors.
Aberrant promoter DNA methylation has been reported in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and has the potential to contribute to its onset and outcome
Dr Jessica Buck, a researcher at The Kids Research Institute Australia Cancer Centre and a Kamilaroi woman, is on a mission to address the unique challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with cancer.