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Research

Down syndrome and leukemia: from basic mechanisms to clinical advances

Children with Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) are at a significantly higher risk of developing acute leukemia compared to the overall population. Many studies investigating the link between trisomy 21 and leukemia initiation and progression have been conducted over the last two decades.

Research

Celebrating 100 years of Immunology & Cell Biology – a special focus on the field of tumor immunology in Australia

In this Commentary article, as part of the 100-year celebrations of the journal, we reflect on the contribution of articles published in ICB in the field of tumor immunology. A highlight is a series of interviews conducted with three Australian-based ICB authors who have contributed key papers over the years: Rajiv Khanna, Delia Nelson and Ian Frazer.

Research

Patient-Derived Orthotopic Xenograft Models for High-Grade Pediatric Brain Cancers

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.

Research

Towards precision cancer medicine for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer health equity

Delivering cancer control at scale for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is a national priority that requires Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and codesign, as well as significant involvement of the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector. The unique genomic variation observed among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may have implications for standard and precision medicine.

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

Cancer chemotherapy: insights into cellular and tumor microenvironmental mechanisms of action

Chemotherapy has historically been the mainstay of cancer treatment, but our understanding of what drives a successful therapeutic response remains limited.

Research

Anoctamins and Calcium Signalling: An Obstacle to EGFR Targeted Therapy in Glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma is the most common form of high-grade glioma in adults and has a poor survival rate with very limited treatment options. There have been no significant advancements in glioblastoma treatment in over 30 years. Epidermal growth factor receptor is upregulated in most glioblastoma tumours and, therefore, has been a drug target in recent targeted therapy clinical trials.

Research

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in children and adolescent cancer patients

Brain cancer and leukemia are the most common cancers diagnosed in the pediatric population and are often treated with lifesaving chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy causes severe adverse effects and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major dose-limiting and debilitating side effect.

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

A surveillance clinic for children and adolescents with, or at risk of, hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes

Hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes (HCPS) account for at least 10% of paediatric cancers.1 Li‐Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a dominant HCPS caused by mutations in the TP53 gene and is associated with an 80–90% lifetime risk of cancer, commencing in infancy.2 Children of affected individuals are at 50% risk of inheriting the family mutation.