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Nick Rishi S. Laurence Sung Gottardo Kotecha Cheung Chiu MBChB FRACP PhD MB ChB (Hons) MRCPCH FRACP PhD BPharm (Hons) MBA PhD MBBS FRACP FRCPA PhD

Osteoclasts are important regulators of bone remodeling, with an established role in maintaining skeletal homeostasis. The emergence of osteoimmunology has identified osteoclasts as key players in the immune system. In particular, osteoclasts can initiate bi-directional crosstalk mechanisms with hematopoietic stem cells and various immune cells, such as T cells, B cells and NK cells, to influence hematopoiesis and inflammatory response.

Invasive fungal disease is a common and important complication in children with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We describe the epidemiology of IFD in a large multicentre cohort of children with AML.

Recent research showed that precision medicine can identify new treatment strategies for patients with childhood cancers. However, it is unclear which patients will benefit most from precision-guided treatment.

The rarity of the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) population poses a significant challenge for MSC research. Therefore, these cells are often expanded in vitro, prior to use. However, long-term culture has been shown to alter primary MSC properties.

DNA-informed prescribing (termed pharmacogenomics, PGx) is the epitome of personalised medicine. Despite international guidelines existing, its implementation in paediatric oncology remains sparse.

Preemptive pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing in pediatric oncology patients could reduce toxicity and improve efficacy of medications yet remains underutilized. Consumer identified implementation barriers have not been extensively explored nor included adolescent or young adult (AYA) patient perspectives. This study describes Australian pediatric oncology consumer perspectives on PGx testing, elucidating barriers to implementation.

Systemic Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell lymphoma of childhood (STCLC) is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy with a dismal prognosis and no standard curative treatment. This report describes the first reported case of STCLC in a White child who, after experiencing failure with intensive chemotherapy regimens, achieved a complete response following targeted immunotherapy.

Hematopoietic stem cells are defined by their remarkable self-renewal and differentiation capacities, giving rise to progenitors that generate diverse blood and immune cell lineages through the tightly regulated process of hematopoiesis. This process is governed by key transcription factors that control gene expression programs essential for cellular homeostasis, differentiation, and lineage commitment. 

Despite significant advances, outcomes for children with Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) who develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia remain poor. Reports of large DS-ALL cohorts have shown that children with DS have inferior event-free survival and overall survival compared to children without DS.