Translational Research Program To Advance Clinical Outcomes In Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,192.00
Summary
Five-year survival in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is only 27%, placing it amongst the worst-ranked cancers for clinical outcome. Improved patient outcomes will be achieved through implementation of a Translational Research Program to support novel agent drug testing, early-phase and randomised clinical trials and a national clinical registry to audit outcomes. New insights into leukaemic stem cell function and mechanisms of drug resistance will inform the design of future clinical trials.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia was almost always fatal before the development of imatinib a decade ago, the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) developed to treat a human cancer. There are now more potent TKIs that are effective in cases of resistance to imatinib. The challenge now is to optimise the achievement of remissions using these drugs and convert CML into a curable condition. This will be the focus of my NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship over the next 5 years.
Translating Advances In Molecular Oncology Into Improved Care For Patients With Haematological Malignancies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$411,327.00
Summary
The purpose of my research is to develop and integrate into routine practice better treatment paradigms for patients with blood cancers – leukaemias, lymphomas, myeloma. My research seeks to (i) bring a new class of anti-cancer targeted therapy, inhibitors of Bcl-2, into routine care; (ii) discover the genetic changes that explain why slow growing lymphoid cancers change into rapidly fatal lymphomas; and (iii) integrate new molecular tests into the management of patients with acute leukaemia.
Using Mouse Models To Identify Better Therapies For Acute Leukemia And Myelodysplasia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Summary
Despite great advances in the understanding of the genes that cause cancers of the blood, cure rates for patients with acute leukemia, or a more indolent form called myelodyspslaia, has not improved significantly over the last 20 years, with the majority of patients dying from resistant or recurrent disease within 5 years. Our research will use mouse models of acute leukemia and myelodysplasia to identify the critical genetic pathways that drive these diseases and to design and test new therapie ....Despite great advances in the understanding of the genes that cause cancers of the blood, cure rates for patients with acute leukemia, or a more indolent form called myelodyspslaia, has not improved significantly over the last 20 years, with the majority of patients dying from resistant or recurrent disease within 5 years. Our research will use mouse models of acute leukemia and myelodysplasia to identify the critical genetic pathways that drive these diseases and to design and test new therapies that can be taken into clinical trials.Read moreRead less
Modulation Of Cytokine Responses To Improve Transplant Outcome.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$26,186.00
Summary
Bone marrow transplantation remains a mainstay of curative therapy for haematological malignancies. This curative effect is mediated by the transplanted donor immune system which rejects the recipient malignancy. However, the procedure is limited by its serious side effect, known as graft-versus-host disease. This application seeks to better understand these two processes at both an immunological and clinical level with the aim of separating the two so that more patients may be cured of leukaemi ....Bone marrow transplantation remains a mainstay of curative therapy for haematological malignancies. This curative effect is mediated by the transplanted donor immune system which rejects the recipient malignancy. However, the procedure is limited by its serious side effect, known as graft-versus-host disease. This application seeks to better understand these two processes at both an immunological and clinical level with the aim of separating the two so that more patients may be cured of leukaemia.Read moreRead less
Development Of Systemic Therapies To Improve Response And Prevent Resistance In The Treatment Of Melanoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$569,219.00
Summary
This program of research utilises the unique resources at Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) to understand the biology of prolonged response and resistance to novel drug therapies used in metastatic melanoma, a cancer that now leads the field in the discovery of new targets for therapeutic manipulation. This program also aims to create new methods to efficiently test and develop drug therapy combinations in humans to improve patient outcomes further or prevent metastatic melanoma altogether.
I am an orthopaedic surgeon and clinician-scientist based at Sydney’s largest children’s hospital. My goal is to improve treatments for children with traumatic injuries and bone deformity. I have worked in bone research for over 20 years. My current research interests are finding new treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections, treating genetic bone disease, and developing new medical devices to help children’s bones grow straight.
Neurobiology Of Childhood Speech And Language Disorders: Advancing Diagnosis, Prognosis And Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$467,961.00
Summary
Half a million Australian children have a speech/language disorder, tripling their changes of poor academic outcomes, limited employment options and social isolation. Current speech therapy is outdated, focusing on symptoms and ignoring important evidence on underlying aetiologies. I will transform detection, diagnosis and treatment of speech/language disorders to optimise patient outcomes, by identifying and translating findings on genes and brain pathways leading to these conditions.
Major advances in cancer treatment has been made by identifying gene mutations in cancers to which the cancer is “addicted”, such that turning off the effects of the mutations leads to death of the cancer cells. Grant McArthur has been successful in applying this principle to rare types of sarcoma bringing his work to routine clinical practice globally. In this application he will investigate targeting the BRAF, KIT and MYC genes focusing on melanoma, a major cancer problem in Australia.
Immunopathogenesis And Manipulation Of The HIV Reservoir
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,732.00
Summary
Kelleher is a Clinical immunologist with a globally recognised, sustained track record of translational research which has impacted both on our understanding of HIV immunopathogenesis and on the way HIV infection is treated. He will conduct a series of studies that encompass basic scientific techniques through to pivotal pre-clinical and clinical studies that will provide a pathway towards control of HIV-infection without daily therapy.