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News & Events

World-first clinical trial in ‘man’s best friend’ could unlock treatment breakthrough for kids with cancer

The Kids Research Institute Australia is leading a unique clinical trial in pet dogs that could pave the way for a new immunotherapy treatment for one of the most common childhood cancers, Sarcoma.

News & Events

Raine Foundation grants powering child health research

Valuable support from the Raine Medical Research Foundation’s 2025 grant round will power four new research projects at The Kids Research Institute Australia.

News & Events

Premier’s Science Awards finalists recognised for work in physical activity, cancer and mental health

Four The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers from a diverse range of fields have been named as finalists for the prestigious 2022 Premier’s Science Awards.

News & Events

Trial of new antibody gives hope to children suffering from brain cancer

Children with aggressive brain cancers could soon have access to a significant new treatment option, using a unique antibody that stops cancer cells from repairing themselves.

News & Events

Philanthropic legacy dedicated to seeing all kids with cancer survive and thrive

One of WA’s biggest ever philanthropic gifts will transform childhood cancer research and treatment by improving outcomes for children with cancer and discovering more effective and less toxic treatments.

News & Events

A decade of data confirms observation is safe for most newborns with neuroblastoma

A landmark study led by Dr Hetal Dholaria, The Kids Research Institute Australia researcher and Perth Children’s Hospital Oncologist, has confirmed that a “wait and watch” approach for newborns diagnosed with neuroblastoma is not only safe, but effective over the long term.

Research

IFNβ Is a Potent Adjuvant for Cancer Vaccination Strategies

Cancer vaccination drives the generation of anti-tumor T cell immunity and can be enhanced by the inclusion of effective immune adjuvants such as type I interferons (IFNs). Whilst type I IFNs have been shown to promote cross-priming of T cells, the role of individual subtypes remains unclear. Here we systematically compared the capacity of distinct type I IFN subtypes to enhance T cell responses to a whole-cell vaccination strategy in a pre-clinical murine model.

Research

Comprehensive Testing of Chemotherapy and Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Preclinical Cancer Models Identifies Additive Combinations

Antibodies that target immune checkpoints such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA‐4) and the programmed cell death protein 1/ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) are now a treatment option for multiple cancer types. However, as a monotherapy, objective responses only occur in a minority of patients. Chemotherapy is widely used in combination with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Although a variety of isolated immunostimulatory effects have been reported for several classes of chemotherapeutics, it is unclear which chemotherapeutics provide the most benefit when combined with ICB.

News & Events

Child health research made possible through Telethon’s support

The generous support of Western Australians through Channel 7’s Telethon is helping to fund life-changing child health research, with two The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers awarded significant grants.

News & Events

Immunotherapy drug dramatically improves survival for babies with rare leukaemia

A pilot clinical study, led in Australia by a The Kids Research Institute Australia and Perth Children's Hospital researcher, has found an immunotherapy drug can dramatically increase survival rates for babies with a rare form of leukaemia, paving the way for a major international clinical trial.