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Research

Pediatric pineoblastoma: A pooled outcome study of North American and Australian therapeutic data

Pineoblastoma is a rare brain tumor usually diagnosed in children. Given its rarity, no pineoblastoma-specific trials have been conducted. Studies have included pineoblastoma accruing for other embryonal tumors over the past 30 years.

Research

Conventional Therapies Deplete Brain-Infiltrating Adaptive Immune Cells in a Mouse Model of Group 3 Medulloblastoma Implicating Myeloid Cells as Favorable Immunotherapy Targets

Medulloblastoma is the most common childhood brain cancer. Mainstay treatments of radiation and chemotherapy have not changed in decades and new treatment approaches are crucial for the improvement of clinical outcomes. To date, immunotherapies for medulloblastoma have been unsuccessful, and studies investigating the immune microenvironment of the disease and the impact of current therapies are limited.

News & Events

Philanthropic legacy dedicated to seeing all kids with cancer survive and thrive

One of WA’s biggest ever philanthropic gifts will transform childhood cancer research and treatment by improving outcomes for children with cancer and discovering more effective and less toxic treatments.

Research

Targeting cross-presentation as a route to improve the efficiency of peptide-based cancer vaccines

Cross-presenting dendritic cells (DC) offer an attractive target for vaccination due to their unique ability to process exogenous antigens for presentation on MHC class I molecules. Recent reports have established that these DC express unique surface receptors and play a critical role in the initiation of anti-tumor immunity, opening the way for the development of vaccination strategies specifically targeting these cells.

Research

Temporally restricted activation of IFNβ signaling determines response to immune checkpoint therapy

The biological determinants of the response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in cancer remain incompletely understood. Little is known about dynamic biological events that underpin therapeutic efficacy due to the inability to frequently sample tumours in patients.

Research

IFNβ Is a Potent Adjuvant for Cancer Vaccination Strategies

Cancer vaccination drives the generation of anti-tumor T cell immunity and can be enhanced by the inclusion of effective immune adjuvants such as type I interferons (IFNs). Whilst type I IFNs have been shown to promote cross-priming of T cells, the role of individual subtypes remains unclear. Here we systematically compared the capacity of distinct type I IFN subtypes to enhance T cell responses to a whole-cell vaccination strategy in a pre-clinical murine model.

Research

In vivo loss of tumorigenicity in a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft mouse model of ependymoma

Ependymomas (EPN) are the third most common malignant brain cancer in children. Treatment strategies for pediatric EPN have remained unchanged over recent decades, with 10-year survival rates stagnating at just 67% for children aged 0-14 years. Moreover, a proportion of patients who survive treatment often suffer long-term neurological side effects as a result of therapy. It is evident that there is a need for safer, more effective treatments for pediatric EPN patients.

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

Geldanamycin treatment does not result in anti-cancer activity in a preclinical model of orthotopic mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is characterised by its aggressive invasive behaviour, affecting the surrounding tissues of the pleura or peritoneum. We compared an invasive pleural model with a non-invasive subcutaneous model of mesothelioma and performed transcriptomic analyses on the tumour samples.

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.