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Co-Head, Brain Tumour Research

Head of Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology and Haematology, Perth Children’s Hospital; Co-head, Brain Tumour Research Program, The Kids Research Institute Australia

Gliomas account for nearly 30% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors in children and adolescents and young adults (AYA), contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. The updated molecular classification of gliomas defines molecularly diverse subtypes with a spectrum of tumors associated with age-distinct incidence.

Paediatric cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in Australian children. Limited research focuses on cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Although there appears to be a lower incidence of cancer overall in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children compared with non-Indigenous children, a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.

Tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusions are detected in less than 2% of central nervous system tumors. There are limited data on the clinical course of affected patients. 

Siblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) are a minority population at higher genetic and environmental risk of poorer neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes compared to siblings of individuals without NDCs.

Advancements in genomic profiling led to the discovery of four major molecular subgroups in medulloblastoma (MB), which have now been incorporated into the World Health Organization classification of central nervous system tumors. The current study aimed to determine the prognostic significance of the MB molecular subgroups among children in Malaysia. 

A child's cancer diagnosis has a significant impact on the lives of grandparents. Grandparents experience the stress of worrying about both their adult children and their grandchildren. Our study aimed to explore the lived experience of grandparents of children diagnosed with cancer.

Patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse models are considered the gold standard for evidence-based preclinical research in pediatric neuro-oncology. This protocol describes the generation of PDOX models by intracranial implantation of human pediatric brain cancer cells into immune-deficient mice, and their continued propagation to establish cohorts of animals for preclinical research.

High-grade gliomas including glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) represent the most lethal and aggressive brain cancers where current treatment modalities offer limited efficacy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies have emerged as a promising strategy, boasting tumor-specific targeting and the unique ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier.