All posts in Research
2 minutes with Carmel O’Kane from the Blood Cancer Taskforce
The Blood Cancer Taskforce is well on its way to developing Australia’s first National Strategic Action Plan for Blood Cancer. We ask some of the Taskforce members what drives their passion for blood cancer. Why did you want to be part of the Taskforce? I was identified because of my work with the Cancer Nurses […]
Developing new treatments for Burkitt’s lymphoma
The Leukaemia Foundation is funding research aimed at advancing treatment for a blood cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL), thanks to the generous support of a major donor who has survived this aggressive blood cancer. There is a need for alternative therapies for people with BL, according to Dr Gemma Kelly, a senior postdoctoral research scientist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (Melbourne). Dr Kelly and Professor […]
Reshaping our thinking on blood cancer treatment
Researchers at Monash University have discovered a key reason why a type of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is such a difficult disease to treat and cure. More than 1,000 Australians are told they have AML each year but less than a third of them will be alive five years after their diagnosis. […]
Australian study first ever to use CAR T-cells to prevent relapse after treatment
In a world first, the Australian COMMITTAL trial uses CAR T-cell therapy to improve survival for people with B-cell ALL who have an allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Dr Ken Micklethwaite, a clinical haematologist and bone marrow physician, who runs the CAR T-cell program at The Westmead Institute of Medical Research (Sydney), describes the study […]
New PBS drug will mean better outcomes for families
A drug used to treat a rare form of Hodgkin lymphoma is now widely available through the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), saving families thousands of dollars. The PBS listing of brentuximab vedotin gives Australians access to a potentially life-saving treatment that previously cost up to $16,100 for a single course. The Leukaemia Foundation presented comprehensive […]
Improving lymphoma outcomes with personal touch
A recent review of the latest medical advances for people with Hodgkin lymphoma has highlighted how personalised treatment is improving outcomes for patients. Professor Maher Gandhi, the Leukaemia Foundation Chair in Blood Cancer Research at The University of Queensland’s Diamantina Institute, said the new approaches were aimed at “minimising toxicity while maximising response”. He said […]
Breakthrough therapy gives hope for new leukaemia treatment
In a world-first clinical trial, Melbourne medical researchers have shown that patients with an advanced form of leukaemia can achieve complete remission with a novel tablet treatment. Clinical trials of the potent new anti-cancer drug venetoclax showed it was effective in killing cancer cells in people with advanced forms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) when […]
Targeting cancer ‘survival’ protein to kill cancer cells
A protein critical for the survival of many cancer cells, called MCL-1, might be the key to a new treatment for lymphoma and leukaemia patients. Leukaemia Foundation funded researcher Dr Stephanie Grabow and her team, in particular Drs Gemma Kelly and Brandon Aubrey at Melbourne’s Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, are investigating the […]