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Research
Pharmacokinetics of PEGasparaginase in Infants with Acute Lymphoblastic LeukemiaPEGasparaginase is known to be a critical drug for treating pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), however, there is insufficient evidence to determine the optimal dose for infants who are less than one year of age at diagnosis. This international study was conducted to identify the pharmacokinetics of PEGasparaginase in infants with newly diagnosed ALL and gather insight into the clearance and dosing of this population.

The main aim of our Leukaemia Translational Research Team is to test innovative therapeutic approaches, with a focus on clinical translation of this knowledge, to improve the outcomes of children suffering from leukaemia.

Research
Cancer CentreListed are all The Kids Research Institute Australia research teams involved in our Cancer Centre. This Centre sits under the Chronic and Severe Diseases research theme.
Research
Polyamine depletion limits progression of acute leukaemiaCancer cells are addicted to polyamines, polycations essential for cellular function. While dual targeting of cellular polyamine biosynthesis and polyamine uptake is under clinical investigation in solid cancers, preclinical and clinical studies into its potential in haematological malignancies are lacking. Here we investigated the preclinical efficacy of polyamine depletion in acute leukaemia.
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Updates in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the potential for targeted therapyOutcomes for infants diagnosed under 1 year of age with KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have remained stagnant over the past 20 years. Successive treatment protocols have previously focused on intensification of conventional chemotherapy, but increased treatment-related toxicity and chemoresistance have led to a plateau in survival.
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Antifungal use in children with acute leukaemia: state of current evidence and directions for future researchInvasive fungal disease (IFD) remains a common and serious complication in children treated for leukaemia. Antifungal prescription in children with leukaemia presents unique challenges, particularly due to variation in IFD risk between and within leukaemia treatment protocols, drug toxicities and interactions between antifungals and chemotherapeutic agents.
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Successful treatment of a child with acute monoblastic leukaemia who relapsed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: A rare lineage switchRishi S. Kotecha MB ChB (Hons) MRCPCH FRACP PhD Co-Head, Leukaemia Translational Research rishi.kotecha@health.wa.gov.au Co-Head, Leukaemia
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Systematic In Vitro Evaluation of a Library of Approved and Pharmacologically Active Compounds for the Identification of Novel Candidate Drugs for KMT2A-Rearranged LeukemiaPatients whose leukemias harbor a rearrangement of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL/KMT2A) gene have a poor prognosis, especially when the disease strikes in infants. The poor clinical outcome linked to this aggressive disease and the detrimental treatment side-effects, particularly in children, warrant the urgent development of more effective and cancer-selective therapeutics.
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Constitutive Activation of RAS/MAPK Pathway Cooperates with Trisomy 21 and Is Therapeutically Exploitable in Down Syndrome B-cell LeukemiaChildren with Down syndrome (constitutive trisomy 21) that develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia (DS-ALL) have a 3-fold increased likelihood of treatment-related mortality coupled with a higher cumulative incidence of relapse, compared with other children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).
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Western Australian children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are taller at diagnosis than unaffected children of the same age and sexAcute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the commonest childhood malignancy in Australian children