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Cancer cells are addicted to polyamines, polycations essential for cellular function. While dual targeting of cellular polyamine biosynthesis and polyamine uptake is under clinical investigation in solid cancers, preclinical and clinical studies into its potential in haematological malignancies are lacking. Here we investigated the preclinical efficacy of polyamine depletion in acute leukaemia.

Nick Gottardo MBChB FRACP PhD Head of Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology and Haematology, Perth Children’s Hospital; Co-head, Brain Tumour Research

Platinum-based chemotherapy in combination with anti-PD-L1 antibodies has shown promising results in mesothelioma. However, the immunological mechanisms underlying its efficacy are not well understood and there are no predictive biomarkers to guide treatment decisions.

OLIG2-expressing tumor stem cells have been shown to drive recurrence in Sonic Hedgehog (SHH)-subgroup medulloblastoma (MB) and patients urgently need specific therapies to target this tumor cell population.

Parents of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) experience emotional distress throughout their child's treatment course. This study describes the psychological experience of Australian and New Zealand parents of children diagnosed with ALL. 

It is now well accepted that germline or de novo genetic alterations predispose to cancer development, especially during childhood. Among them, constitutive trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome (DS), has been shown to predispose to acute leukemia affecting both the myeloid (ML-DS) and lymphoid (DS-ALL) lineages. ML-DS is associated with a good prognosis compared to children without DS, due in part to a higher sensitivity to conventional chemotherapy.

Local treatment of pelvic Ewing Sarcoma (EWS) is czhallenging due to complex anatomy and potential complications. Local therapy may be deferred to maintain chemotherapy dose-intensity, but the impact of this delay on outcomes remains unclear.

The relationship between anesthetic technique and pediatric oncological outcomes is an emerging field of interest. With significant improvements in childhood cancer survival in recent decades, there is an increased focus on optimizing the quality of survival and reducing the incidence of metastasis and recurrence. The aim of this narrative review article is to investigate and consolidate the current available evidence assessing the immunomodulatory effects of anesthesia in the pediatric oncology population.

ETV6::RUNX1 is one of the most common recurrent genomic abnormalities in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and is associated with a good prognosis. High expression of NTRK1, encoding tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA), confers a poor prognosis in other malignancies and may contribute to therapy resistance in patients with ETV6::RUNX1 B-ALL.

Sébastien Malinge PhD Laboratory Head, Translational Genomics in Leukaemia, Senior Research Fellow (University of Western Australia), Adjunct Senior