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Research

Cancer therapies inducing DNA damage

The induction of DNA damage has been employed as an anticancer strategy for more than 100years, first starting with the use of radiation to treat stomach cancer followed by the first uses of DNA-damaging chemotherapy to treat childhood leukemia.

Research

Parental occupational exposure to pesticides and risk of childhood cancer in Switzerland: a census-based cohort study

Pesticide exposure is a suspected risk factor for childhood cancer. We investigated the risk of developing childhood cancer in relation to parental occupational exposure to pesticides in Switzerland for the period 1990-2015.

Research

Fine-Tuning the Tumour Microenvironment: Current Perspectives on the Mechanisms of Tumour Immunosuppression

Immunotherapy has revolutionised the treatment of cancers by harnessing the power of the immune system to eradicate malignant tissue. However, it is well recognised that some cancers are highly resistant to these therapies, which is in part attributed to the immunosuppressive landscape of the tumour microenvironment (TME). The contexture of the TME is highly heterogeneous and contains a complex architecture of immune, stromal, vascular and tumour cells in addition to acellular components such as the extracellular matrix. While understanding the dynamics of the TME has been instrumental in predicting durable responses to immunotherapy and developing new treatment strategies, recent evidence challenges the fundamental paradigms of how tumours can effectively subvert immunosurveillance. Here, we discuss the various immunosuppressive features of the TME and how fine-tuning these mechanisms, rather than ablating them completely, may result in a more comprehensive and balanced anti-tumour response.

Research

Malignant Melanoma in Children and Adolescents Treated in Pediatric Oncology Centers: An Australian and New Zealand Children’s Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) Study

Unlike adults, malignant melanoma in children and adolescents is rare. In adult melanoma, significant progress in understanding tumor biology and new treatments, including targeted therapies and immunotherapy have markedly improved overall survival. In sharp contrast, there is a paucity of data on the biology and clinical behavior of pediatric melanoma. We report a national case series of all pediatric and adolescent malignant melanoma presenting to ANZCHOG Childhood Cancer Centers in Australia and New Zealand.

Research

Tumor Infiltrating Effector Memory Antigen-Specific CD8(+) T Cells Predict Response to Immune Checkpoint Therapy

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) results in durable responses in individuals with some cancers, but not all patients respond to treatment. ICT improves CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) function, but changes in tumor antigen-specific CTLs post-ICT that correlate with successful responses have not been well characterized. Here, we studied murine tumor models with dichotomous responses to ICT.

News & Events

Cancer researcher to use Forrest Fellowship to tackle high rates of relapse after sarcoma surgery

A The Kids Research Institute Australia researcher aiming to reduce the high rate of relapse in children after cancer surgery has won a prestigious post-doctoral fellowship from the Forrest Foundation.

News & Events

Pioneering research could be key to keeping cancer in check

Cancer research is being reimagined after a collaboration between The Kids Research Institute Australia, the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.

News & Events

The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers share in TPCHRF funding

Eight The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers are among those who have received grant funding from the Telethon-Perth Children’s Hospital Research Fund (TPCHRF).

Research

Management of patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in Australia and New Zealand: Australian and New Zealand Children's Haematology/Oncology Group position statement

The main mission of the Australian and New Zealand Children's Haematology and Oncology Group is to develop and facilitate local access to the world's leading evidence-based clinical trials for all paediatric cancers, including brain tumours, as soon as practically possible. 

Research

PI3K/mTOR is a therapeutically targetable genetic dependency in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG), including tumors diagnosed in the brainstem (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma; DIPG), are uniformly fatal brain tumors that lack effective treatment.