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Co-Head, Leukaemia Translational Research
Co-Head, Leukaemia Translational Research
Honorary Emeritus Fellow
KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) represents a high risk subtype of childhood ALL. Historical treatment strategies have comprised of intensification with conventional chemotherapy. However, outcomes have remained consistently poor compared to the advances that have been seen for other ALL subtypes, particularly for infants diagnosed before their first birthday
In pediatric cancer precision medicine clinical trials settings, parents proactively seeking treatment and answers to causation may request return of their child's raw data and/or biospecimen. To satisfy such requests, the ZERO Childhood Cancer Program required a guidance document.
Osteoclasts are important regulators of bone remodeling, with an established role in maintaining skeletal homeostasis. The emergence of osteoimmunology has identified osteoclasts as key players in the immune system. In particular, osteoclasts can initiate bi-directional crosstalk mechanisms with hematopoietic stem cells and various immune cells, such as T cells, B cells and NK cells, to influence hematopoiesis and inflammatory response.
Recent research showed that precision medicine can identify new treatment strategies for patients with childhood cancers. However, it is unclear which patients will benefit most from precision-guided treatment.
Despite significant advances, outcomes for children with Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) who develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia remain poor. Reports of large DS-ALL cohorts have shown that children with DS have inferior event-free survival and overall survival compared to children without DS.
The rarity of the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) population poses a significant challenge for MSC research. Therefore, these cells are often expanded in vitro, prior to use. However, long-term culture has been shown to alter primary MSC properties.
DNA-informed prescribing (termed pharmacogenomics, PGx) is the epitome of personalised medicine. Despite international guidelines existing, its implementation in paediatric oncology remains sparse.