Skip to content
The Kids Research Institute Australia logo
Donate

No results yet

Search

Research

Comprehensive Testing of Chemotherapy and Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Preclinical Cancer Models Identifies Additive Combinations

Antibodies that target immune checkpoints such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA‐4) and the programmed cell death protein 1/ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) are now a treatment option for multiple cancer types. However, as a monotherapy, objective responses only occur in a minority of patients. Chemotherapy is widely used in combination with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Although a variety of isolated immunostimulatory effects have been reported for several classes of chemotherapeutics, it is unclear which chemotherapeutics provide the most benefit when combined with ICB.

Research

Cardio-Oncology Recommendations for Pediatric Oncology Patients: An Australian and New Zealand Delphi consensus

Cardio-oncology is a new multidisciplinary area of expertise that seeks to pre-emptively and proactively address cardiac complications that emerge during and following cancer therapy. Modern therapies including molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy have broadened the agents that can cause cardiac sequelae, often with complications arising within days to weeks of therapy.

Research

Retinoic Acid Induces an IFN-Driven Inflammatory Tumour Microenvironment, Sensitizing to Immune Checkpoint Therapy

With immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) having reshaped the treatment of many cancers, the next frontier is to identify and develop novel combination therapies to improve efficacy. Previously, we and others identified beneficial immunological effects of the vitamin A derivative tretinoin on anti-tumour immunity.

Research

Multi-institutional analysis of treatment modalities in basal ganglia and thalamic germinoma

Central nervous system germinomas are treatment-sensitive tumors with excellent survival outcomes. Current treatment strategies combine chemotherapy with radiotherapy (RT) in order to reduce the field and dose of RT. Germinomas originating in the basal ganglia/thalamus have proven challenging to treat given their rarity and poorly defined imaging characteristics. Craniospinal, whole brain, whole ventricle, and focal RT have all been utilized; however, the best treatment strategy remains unclear.

Research

Whole genome, transcriptome and methylome profiling enhances actionable target discovery in high-risk pediatric cancer

The Zero Childhood Cancer Program is a precision medicine program to benefit children with poor-outcome, rare, relapsed or refractory cancer. Using tumor and germline whole genome sequencing (WGS) and RNA sequencing (RNAseq) across 252 tumors from high-risk pediatric patients with cancer, we identified 968 reportable molecular aberrations.

News & Events

Dad’s Dream Inspires Global Cancer Fight

The Global Symposium on Childhood Brain Tumours is bringing the world's premier childhood brain tumour researchers and scientists together in Perth.

News & Events

Global Assault on Childhood Brain Tumours Gains Momentum

A report outlining key steps to tackle a common and aggressive childhood brain tumor is gaining rapid momentum after attracting international attention.

News & Events

Landmark research hopes to increase survival rates for aggressive childhood cancer

A new combination of drugs could help to increase survival rates with fewer side effects for some children with one of the most aggressive forms of childhood brain cancer.

News & Events

West Coast Cancer Meeting 2025

Join us as WA’s cancer research community comes together at the inaugural West Coast Cancer Meeting.

News & Events

Researchers identify immune cell that puts cancer to sleep

A team of Australian scientists including cancer researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia have made a crucial breakthrough in understanding how the immune system puts cancer to sleep.