Groundbreaking research aiming to overcome acquired resistance to anti-cancer cellular immunotherapies, such as CAR T-cell therapy, is the latest Australian research to be funded through the prestigious Translational Research Program (TRP). This international collaboration between the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), Snowdome Foundation and the Leukaemia Foundation has supported eleven Australian researchers, over five years, across the world.
The TRP recipients undertake innovative research projects that propose novel approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of blood cancers and which show high promise for translating basic biomedical knowledge to clinical application. This year’s TRP recipient, Professor Mark Dawson, is a clinician-scientist based at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Parkville, Melbourne.
New anti-cancer cellular immunotherapies, such as CAR T-cell therapy, are revolutionising cancer treatment by providing durable, and in some cases curative responses for patients who have not responded to or have relapsed after conventional treatments. Such therapies are now firmly established as major pillars of anti-cancer therapy, particularly in the treatment of B-cell blood cancers.
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) can occur at any age, yet the majority of those affected are children (aged 0-14). Whilst there has been extraordinary progress in the management and treatment options available in inducing clinical remission, including CAR T-cell therapy, there is a subset of B-ALL patients who have poor prognosis to the current standard of care therapies.
Research indicates that most of these patients who relapse after an initial clinical response do so within the first 12-18 months of treatment. Cellular therapies such as CAR T-cell therapy provide the most effective curative options, however, to improve their efficacy and outcomes for B-ALL patients who don’t respond to first-line treatment therapies and with poor prognoses, greater understanding of the immune cell mechanisms mediating response to this treatment is needed.
Professor Dawson’s team has developed cutting-edge, pre-clinical models that simulate resistance to CAR T-cell therapy. By harnessing the power of the models, Professor Dawson aims to uncover the intrinsic properties of cancer cells that enable them to evade new cellular therapies, paving the way for the design and development of novel therapeutic approaches.
Leukaemia Foundation CEO Chris Tanti welcomed the opportunity to unite with LLS and Snowdome Foundation for the fifth year to co-fund the work of leading Australian blood cancer researchers to undertake innovative work that could transform treatment on a global scale.
“Accelerating research to achieve rapid advancements in blood cancer treatment is a key priority of the Leukaemia Foundation. We are pleased to be able to fund these projects and look forward to seeing their research translate into improved results for Australians living with blood cancer,” Mr Tanti said.
“Investment in researchers is key to Australians surviving blood cancer, leading their best possible quality of life and achieving our goal of zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035.”
Snowdome Foundation Chief Executive, Kirstee Macbeth said the Foundation was proud to support the next generation of Australian researchers.
“We are thrilled for Professor Dawson, whose submission has been internationally recognised as one of the top global blood cancer research projects of 2023. His research investigating immune evasion of CAR T-cells, has the potential to further enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy, now recognised as a key pillar of cancer treatment and one that can benefit Australian blood cancer patients,” Ms Macbeth said.
“The TRP grants are highly coveted, with exceptional research projects submitted, and once again Australian blood cancer researchers are acknowledged as world-class. We are incredibly proud to fund these translational research grants for the fifth year with the LLS and the Leukaemia Foundation and to make hope real for Australian blood cancer patients.”
LLS Chief Scientific Officer Lee Greenberger said the international collaboration had the potential to benefit blood cancer patients on a global scale. “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is delighted to continue funding novel research through its Translational Research Program. For the past five years, LLS has collaborated with Snowdome Foundation and Leukaemia Foundation to support the work of so many talented investigators looking for innovative ways to improve the lives of patients living with blood cancer. It is through collaborations such as this that we can broaden the scope of research we are able to fund.”
The special Australian stream of the TRP program funds up to two projects focused on blood cancer research from investigators working in Australia, Australian investigators working in other countries, or to Australian and non-Australian researchers jointly applying. The three-year grant will commence from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026.
The Leukaemia Foundation’s investment in research focuses on innovation in diagnosis, treatment and quality of life, right across the blood cancer spectrum. More on the Translational Research Program here.
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