Cutting edge new research programs being funded by Steven Walter Children’s Cancer Foundation are making a big difference in the lives of kids diagnosed with cancer.

Progress reports from researchers at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, Kids Cancer Centre, and the Monash Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne have highlighted some significant breakthroughs made over the past 12 months thanks to the support of SWCCF sponsors and donors.

Positive results from SWCCF supported research programs currently underway include:

New therapy for high risk and relapsed leukaemia and lymphoma patients
A program that looks at how doctors might be able to genetically modify the cells from within a child’s own immune system to fight cancer as an alternative to traditional treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery

Improving outcomes for childhood leukaemia
Identifying gene signatures that are associated with relapse and drug resistance and looking at how treatment can be personalised to identify the need for specialised therapy to reduce the likelihood of relapse

Predicting and preventing leukaemia in children with Down Syndrome
Children with Down Syndrome have an increased risk of developing childhood leukaemia compared to other children. This research program currently involves 17 children with Down Sydnrome from across NSW. The aim is to develop a test which can be used to predict which children with Down Syndrome may later develop leukaemia. This information may then be helpful in predicting other childhood leukaemic diseases

A research program into the molecular genetics of paediatric cancer
This program is studying our genetic structures to identify specific genetic changes that occur in patients with childhood leukaemia. The research program has already identified a molecular high risk diagnosis in a patient which has resulted in a change in treatment to hopefully contribute to a long term cure

“Over the last 50 years the cure rates for children living with cancer have improved from 10 per cent to 75 per cent, which is an incredible achievement. Ultimately our aim is 100 per cent survival for all children diagnosed with cancer and the prevention of their suffering,” said Sue Walter, Director of Steven Walter Children’s Cancer Foundation.

“Research is vital in making sure we achieve 100 per cent survival and we can see that some big steps forward are being made in the research we’re funding.

“Unfortunately though this cutting edge, exploratory research is rarely well supported. So we know that without our support, much of this research would not take place and we would not see the discoveries being made in saving children’s lives.

“That’s why it’s so important to us to continue to raise money through sponsorship, events and generous donations by everyday Australians. Everyone who supports SWCCF can share in the breakthroughs being made and the exciting prospect of what can be achieved by these amazing researchers with our continued support,” she said.

The Steven Walter Children’s Cancer Foundation is pleased to be providing funding for a three year period to support Associate Professor Paul Ekert to drive a cutting edge research effort into genomics.

As well as being a paediatrician with many years of clinical experience, Paul is Head of Molecular Diagnostics at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Children’s Cancer Centre at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. He is an established, highly regarded researcher specialising in the area of Molecular Biology and more recently Genetic Pathology, a scientific discipline that focuses on the molecular and genetic disruptions that occur in an individual and cause human disease. He has a strong record of research achievement, including over 50 peer-reviewed publications and several successful NHMRC grant applications.

Molecular diagnostics are becoming increasingly important in the care of children with cancer, as it is now understood that cancer is a disease driven by genetic mutations. Just as every individual child is unique, paediatric cancers are unique in their own way too, even if they are the same type. Responses to treatment vary between patients and we know that a generalised approach to treating cancers is not optimal with many children not responding to standard treatment.

Recent advances in genomic techniques see us positioned at the cusp of a revolution. It is now possible to catalogue the genetic changes associated with specific cancer subtypes, which is driving the development of treatment programs that target this biological basis, an approach now often referred to as “personalised medicine”.

In the future, treatment plans will be customised to the individual based on the characteristics of their personal cancer (or the molecular and genetic disruptions that have occurred in their bodies). To reach this point we need to understand the characteristics of an individual cancer and define how these respond to different forms of treatment.

With his expertise in Molecular Diagnostics and wide collaborative networks, Paul’s role is to build and lead a clinical research program within Murdoch Children’s Research Institute linked to the clinical care within the Children’s Cancer Centre, with genomics at its core.

Good luck Paul, SWCCF, our friends and supporters will follow your research endeavours with keen interest.