Skip to content
The Kids Research Institute Australia logo
Donate

No results yet

Search

Research

Making a Killer: Selecting the Optimal Natural Killer Cells for Improved Immunotherapies

Over the past 20 years natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapies have emerged as a safe and effective treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory leukemia. Unlike T cell-based therapies, NK cells harbor an innate capacity to eliminate malignant cells without prior sensitization and can be adoptively transferred between individuals without the need for extensive HLA matching.

Research

Timing of excision after a non-severe burn has a significant impact on the subsequent immune response in a murine model

Early excision of the wound, during the phase of immune down-regulation initiated by the burn, maintains an innate and adaptive immune cell response

Sarcoma Translational Research

We aim to discover and develop safer and more effective treatments by doing inventive and rigorous research to improve outcomes for kids with cancer.

Research

Tumor Infiltrating Effector Memory Antigen-Specific CD8(+) T Cells Predict Response to Immune Checkpoint Therapy

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) results in durable responses in individuals with some cancers, but not all patients respond to treatment. ICT improves CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) function, but changes in tumor antigen-specific CTLs post-ICT that correlate with successful responses have not been well characterized. Here, we studied murine tumor models with dichotomous responses to ICT.

Research

The dystroglycan receptor maintains glioma stem cells in the vascular niche

These findings reveal a central role of the DG receptor, not only as a structural element, but also as a critical factor promoting mesenchymal-like GBM

Research

Accumulation of CD103+ CD8+ T cells in a cutaneous melanoma micrometastasis

Results support the emerging concept that CD103+ CD8+ tissue‐resident memory T cells are key mediators of cancer surveillance

Research

PPARalpha and PPARgamma activation is associated with pleural mesothelioma invasion but therapeutic inhibition is ineffective

Mesothelioma is a cancer that typically originates in the pleura of the lungs. It rapidly invades the surrounding tissues, causing pain and shortness of breath. We compared cell lines injected either subcutaneously or intrapleurally and found that only the latter resulted in invasive and rapid growth.

Research

Potassium Ion Channels in Malignant Central Nervous System Cancers

Malignant central nervous system (CNS) cancers are among the most difficult to treat, with low rates of survival and a high likelihood of recurrence. This is primarily due to their location within the CNS, hindering adequate drug delivery and tumour access via surgery. Furthermore, CNS cancer cells are highly plastic, an adaptive property that enables them to bypass targeted treatment strategies and develop drug resistance.

Research

PI3K activation in neural stem cells drives tumorigenesis which can be ameliorated by targeting the cAMP response element binding protein

Our findings present a novel mouse model for glioma demonstrating that the PI3K pathway is important for initiation of tumorigenesis

Research

Tissue-resident memory T cells orchestrate tumour-immune equilibrium

Our findings provide insight into the immune cell populations important for maintaining long-term tumour dormancy in peripheral tissues