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Down syndrome and leukemia: from basic mechanisms to clinical advancesChildren with Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) are at a significantly higher risk of developing acute leukemia compared to the overall population. Many studies investigating the link between trisomy 21 and leukemia initiation and progression have been conducted over the last two decades.
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Celebrating 100 years of Immunology & Cell Biology – a special focus on the field of tumor immunology in AustraliaIn this Commentary article, as part of the 100-year celebrations of the journal, we reflect on the contribution of articles published in ICB in the field of tumor immunology. A highlight is a series of interviews conducted with three Australian-based ICB authors who have contributed key papers over the years: Rajiv Khanna, Delia Nelson and Ian Frazer.
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Clinical Trials in the Brain Tumour Population: Challenges and Strategies for the FutureThis review identifies challenges and barriers to successful development of drugs in neuro-oncology trials at the preclinical, clinical and translational stages that we believe has contributed to poor outcomes for patients over the last 30 years.
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Multi-institutional analysis of treatment modalities in basal ganglia and thalamic germinomaCentral nervous system germinomas are treatment-sensitive tumors with excellent survival outcomes. Current treatment strategies combine chemotherapy with radiotherapy (RT) in order to reduce the field and dose of RT. Germinomas originating in the basal ganglia/thalamus have proven challenging to treat given their rarity and poorly defined imaging characteristics. Craniospinal, whole brain, whole ventricle, and focal RT have all been utilized; however, the best treatment strategy remains unclear.
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Making a Killer: Selecting the Optimal Natural Killer Cells for Improved ImmunotherapiesOver the past 20 years natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapies have emerged as a safe and effective treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory leukemia. Unlike T cell-based therapies, NK cells harbor an innate capacity to eliminate malignant cells without prior sensitization and can be adoptively transferred between individuals without the need for extensive HLA matching.
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A surveillance clinic for children and adolescents with, or at risk of, hereditary cancer predisposition syndromesHereditary cancer predisposition syndromes (HCPS) account for at least 10% of paediatric cancers.1 Li‐Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a dominant HCPS caused by mutations in the TP53 gene and is associated with an 80–90% lifetime risk of cancer, commencing in infancy.2 Children of affected individuals are at 50% risk of inheriting the family mutation.
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Retinoic Acid Induces an IFN-Driven Inflammatory Tumour Microenvironment, Sensitizing to Immune Checkpoint TherapyWith immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) having reshaped the treatment of many cancers, the next frontier is to identify and develop novel combination therapies to improve efficacy. Previously, we and others identified beneficial immunological effects of the vitamin A derivative tretinoin on anti-tumour immunity.
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Whole genome, transcriptome and methylome profiling enhances actionable target discovery in high-risk pediatric cancerThe Zero Childhood Cancer Program is a precision medicine program to benefit children with poor-outcome, rare, relapsed or refractory cancer. Using tumor and germline whole genome sequencing (WGS) and RNA sequencing (RNAseq) across 252 tumors from high-risk pediatric patients with cancer, we identified 968 reportable molecular aberrations.
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Human erythroleukemia genetics and transcriptomes identify master transcription factors as functional disease driversAcute erythroleukemia (AEL or acute myeloid leukemia [AML]-M6) is a rare but aggressive hematologic malignancy. Previous studies showed that AEL leukemic cells often carry complex karyotypes and mutations in known AML-associated oncogenes.

News & Events
Childhood cancers not on the rise in SA and NT, but disparity remains for Indigenous children in the NTDespite national and global reports of rising incidences of cancer affecting children and young people, a new analysis has found rates of childhood cancer have remained unchanged over the last 30 years in South Australia and the Northern Territory.