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Congratulations to Indigenous genomics researcher Dr Justine Clark, who is one of two scientists nationally to receive the Australian Academy of Science’s 2024 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Science Award.
T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are a promising modality to treat refractory cancers. CD19 CAR-T therapy has achieved remarkable responses in against B-cell lymphomas, however, challenges persist for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and solid malignancies. B7H3 is an immune regulatory molecule that is highly expressed in various tumor cells. Its abnormal expression in acute AML and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is closely related to tumor progression.
To describe the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and health care workers on genomics in cancer care to inform the National Framework for Genomics in Cancer Control (the Framework).
In Australia, cancer medicine is increasingly guided by our expanding knowledge of cancer genomics (the study of genetic information) and biology. Personalized treatments and targets are often defined by an individual’s genetic profile—known as precision cancer medicine. The translation of genomics-guided precision therapeutics from bench to bedside is beginning to produce real clinical benefits for Australians living with cancer.
Due to an advanced understanding of cancer biology and the rapid development of genomic technologies, cancer has shifted from 200 diseases based on pathology (i.e., what a tumor looks like under the microscope) to thousands of diseases based on molecular tumor profiles (i.e., what a tumor looks like when its altered genome is interrogated). Most cancers arise from alterations to the genome, including changes in the number or structure of chromosomes and variations in a single building block of the genetic code.
Smokers are at an increased risk of developing mucosal head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCCs) and have a worse prognosis when treated. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the latter has not been established. We therefore developed an in vitro model to investigate the effects of radiation and smoking on mucosal HNSCCs.
Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLSs) are ectopic lymphoid aggregates that form within the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are increasingly recognized as potential prognostic biomarkers in various cancers. However, the spatial heterogeneity and prognostic value of TLSs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain poorly defined. This study aimed to characterize the spatial distribution patterns of TLSs and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and to establish a refined prognostic model for ESCC patients in both surgery-only and neoadjuvant therapy cohorts.
Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a safe and effective alternative to radiotherapy for cancer treatment. Its anticancer effects are attributed to increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glutathione, a key antioxidant derived from glutamine, is critical for cell proliferation. This study investigated whether CAP-induced ROS elevation results from reduced glutamine-glutathione conversion and elucidates the underlying mechanisms.
Despite advances in immunotherapy, metastatic melanoma remains a considerable therapeutic challenge due to the complexity of the tumor microenvironment. Intratumoral type I interferon (IFN-I) has long been associated with improved clinical outcomes. However, several IFN-I subtypes can also paradoxically promote tumor growth in some contexts.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a proven curative therapy for children with high-risk myeloid malignancies. Disease relapse, transplant-related mortality and graft versus host disease (GvHD) are the main causes of treatment failure and death post-transplant. The optimum pretransplant conditioning regimen is yet to be defined. There is limited data regarding the use of busulfan, fludarabine and melphalan as a myeloablative conditioning regimen in children receiving HSCT for myeloid malignancies.