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Research
Interactions between acute lymphoblastic leukemia and bone marrow stromal cells influence response to therapyThe cure rate for pediatric patients with B precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL) is steadily improving, however relapses do occur despite...
Research
Western Australian children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are taller at diagnosis than unaffected children of the same age and sexAcute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the commonest childhood malignancy in Australian children
Research
Effective adenovirus-mediated gene transfer into neural stem cells derived from human embryonic stem cellsHuman embryonic stem cell-derived neural stem cells (hESC-NSCs) are an attractive cell type for studying
The main aim of our Leukaemia Translational Research Team is to test innovative therapeutic approaches, with a focus on clinical translation of this knowledge, to improve the outcomes of children suffering from leukaemia.
Research
High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemiaFunctional role of CTGF in altering disease progression in a lymphoid malignancy
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Constitutive Activation of RAS/MAPK Pathway Cooperates with Trisomy 21 and Is Therapeutically Exploitable in Down Syndrome B-cell LeukemiaChildren with Down syndrome (constitutive trisomy 21) that develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia (DS-ALL) have a 3-fold increased likelihood of treatment-related mortality coupled with a higher cumulative incidence of relapse, compared with other children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).
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Preclinical Assessment of Dactinomycin in KMT2A-Rearranged Infant Acute Lymphoblastic LeukemiaInfants with KMT2A-rearranged B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have high rates of relapse and poor survival compared with children. Few new therapies have been identified over the past twenty years. The aim of this study was to identify existing anti-cancer agents that have the potential to be repurposed for the treatment of infant ALL.
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Polyamine depletion limits progression of acute leukaemiaCancer 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.
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Updates in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the potential for targeted therapyOutcomes for infants diagnosed under 1 year of age with KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have remained stagnant over the past 20 years. Successive treatment protocols have previously focused on intensification of conventional chemotherapy, but increased treatment-related toxicity and chemoresistance have led to a plateau in survival.
Research
FDA-approved disulfiram as a novel treatment for aggressive leukemiaAcute leukemia continues to be a major cause of death from disease worldwide and current chemotherapeutic agents are associated with significant morbidity in survivors. While better and safer treatments for acute leukemia are urgently needed, standard drug development pipelines are lengthy and drug repurposing therefore provides a promising approach.