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Research

Conventional Therapies Deplete Brain-Infiltrating Adaptive Immune Cells in a Mouse Model of Group 3 Medulloblastoma Implicating Myeloid Cells as Favorable Immunotherapy Targets

Medulloblastoma is the most common childhood brain cancer. Mainstay treatments of radiation and chemotherapy have not changed in decades and new treatment approaches are crucial for the improvement of clinical outcomes. To date, immunotherapies for medulloblastoma have been unsuccessful, and studies investigating the immune microenvironment of the disease and the impact of current therapies are limited.

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Targeting cross-presentation as a route to improve the efficiency of peptide-based cancer vaccines

Cross-presenting dendritic cells (DC) offer an attractive target for vaccination due to their unique ability to process exogenous antigens for presentation on MHC class I molecules. Recent reports have established that these DC express unique surface receptors and play a critical role in the initiation of anti-tumor immunity, opening the way for the development of vaccination strategies specifically targeting these cells.

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A reference collection of patient-derived cell line and xenograft models of proneural, classical and mesenchymal glioblastoma

We present a curated panel of 12 readily-usable, cell lines representing the spectrum of molecular subtypes of IDH-wildtype glioblastoma

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MK2 inhibition induces p53-dependent senescence in glioblastoma cells

In response to DNA damaging chemotherapy, targeting MK2 in p53-mutated cells produces a phenotype that is distinct from the p53-deficient phenotype

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Activation of ERBB4 in Glioblastoma Can Contribute to Increased Tumorigenicity and Influence Therapeutic Response

Despite low ERBB4 mRNA in glioblastoma, the functional effects of increased ERBB4 activation identify ERBB4 as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target

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Dendritic cells and influenza A virus infection

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a dangerous virus equipped with the potential to evoke widespread pandemic disease.

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Optimal conditions required for influenza A infection-enhanced cross-priming of CD8+ T cells specific to cell-associated antigens

Our group has recently shown that influenza A virus (IAV) infection of allogeneic cells lead to enhanced cross-priming of TCD8+ specific to cellular antigens.

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Platelets after burn injury–hemostasis and beyond

Burn injuries are common and often life-threatening trauma. With this trauma comes an interruption of normal hemostasis, with distinct impacts on platelets.

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Tumour draining lymph node-generated CD8 T cells play a role in controlling lung metastases after a primary tumour is removed but not when adjuvant immunotherapy is used

Surgical resection of cancer remains the frontline therapy for millions of patients annually, but post-operative recurrence is common, with a relapse rate of around 45% for non-small cell lung cancer. The tumour draining lymph nodes (dLN) are resected at the time of surgery for staging purposes, and this cannot be a null event for patient survival and future response to immune checkpoint blockade treatment. This project investigates cancer surgery, lymphadenectomy, onset of metastatic disease, and response to immunotherapy in a novel model that closely reflects the clinical setting. In a murine metastatic lung cancer model, primary subcutaneous tumours were resected with associated dLNs remaining intact, completely resected or partially resected.

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Whole genome and biomarker analysis of patients with recurrent glioblastoma on bevacizumab: A subset analysis of the CABARET trial.

Whole genome sequencing of poor and exceptional survivors identified a gain in Chromosome 19 that was exclusive to the exceptional survivors