Significance Of Soluble PD-L1 In Melanoma Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,236.00
Summary
A class of new immunotherapy drugs called “antibodies of immune checkpoints” can lead to long-lasting melanoma regression, but they are only beneficial to a subset of patients. This project will potentially identify the increased expression of a protein called PD-L1 in the blood as a biomarker predictive of responses of melanoma patients to these new drugs. The results will be instructive for selection of patients for the treatment.
A 2:1 Randomised Phase II Study Of NivolUmab And Temozolomide Vs Temozolomide In Methylated Newly Diagnosed Elderly Glioblastoma (NUTMEG)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,608,845.00
Summary
Radiotherapy and Temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy treatment for the brain tumour glioblastoma (GBM) is not as effective in elderly patients. If their tumour has a genetic marker called "methylated MGMT", TMZ does work relatively better and is often given alone. Elderly GBM patients with this marker will be randomly selected in this trial to have TMZ alone or TMZ + Nivolumab - a drug that assists the immune system to attack cancer.
Overcoming Resistance To Cancer Immunotherapy By Targeting MET-signaling In Neutrophils
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,375.00
Summary
Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia. The human immune system is able to attack cancer cells. However, cancer cell can escape the destruction by cytotoxic cells. The development of novel immunotherapies has revolutionized cancer therapy, but only a subgroup of patients is responding. This research project aims to identify novel combinatorial therapies blocking immune suppressive neutrophils to improve anti-cancer immunity and survival of cancer patients.
Towards Effective Immunotherapy Of Cancer Using Genetically Enhanced Lymphocytes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$465,750.00
Summary
Immunotherapy is a potentially powerful and specific form of cancer therapy that may be more effective and have fewer side effects than current forms of therapy including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Already dramatic responses have been observed in a proportion of patients receiving immunotherapy for some malignancies but these responses are all too infrequent. T cells constitute an important part of the immune system but they often fail to recognize cancer and do not respond strongly enough a ....Immunotherapy is a potentially powerful and specific form of cancer therapy that may be more effective and have fewer side effects than current forms of therapy including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Already dramatic responses have been observed in a proportion of patients receiving immunotherapy for some malignancies but these responses are all too infrequent. T cells constitute an important part of the immune system but they often fail to recognize cancer and do not respond strongly enough against tumours. This project investigates the feasibility of endowing patients' T cells with the abilities to recognize cancer and respond vigorously against it by genetically modifying the T cells. In this study, T cells are removed from mice that have cancer and a gene encoding an anti-cancer molecule inserted into the T cells. The T cells are activated, grown to large numbers and given back to tumour-bearing mice followed by booster vaccinations. The strategy used is novel and the proposed studies, together with preliminary data, represent the first investigations of their type in the world. Information derived from these studies will extend our understanding of tumour immunology and provide an appreciation of the importance of various parameters in achieving anti-tumour responses. Improved anti-tumour responses achieved through investigations in these proof-of-principle pre-clinical models could lead to more effective immunotherapeutic regimens in patients.Read moreRead less
Adoptive Cell Transfer Incorporating Vaccination (ACTIV) Therapy For Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$601,950.00
Summary
We have made a breakthrough in a new treatment for cancer that can destroy large tumours in mice. The treatment involves a transfusion of white blood cells and an injection of a vaccine. In this project, we will seek to understand how the treatment works, and apply it to human white blood cells in preparation for a clinical trial in cancer patients.
Deriving Actionable Strategies To Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy Response
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,193.00
Summary
Cancer immunotherapy is an increasingly common treatment used to treat several types of advanced cancers. Whilst it can be dramatically effective in a minority of patients, many patients do not respond to the treatment and our ability to predict who will not benefit is limited. This project aims to study distinct aspects of tumour immunology in patients receiving immunotherapy treatments in order to identify better predictors and more widely-effective immunotherapy treatment strategies.
Tumor Targeted T Cells To Enhance Anti-tumor Efficacy And Dictate Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) Engraftment In The Setting Of Double UCB Transplant.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,002.00
Summary
Currently, despite cord blood transplantation, most leukemia patients will ultimately die of disease relapse. Therefore, my proposal is focused on improving the effectiveness of cord blood transplantation by further infusion of gene modified umbilical cord derived immune blood cells designed to specifically target and lyse residual leukemia tumor cells. This novel approach this will decrease disease relapse and lead to better patient survival following cord blood transplant therapy.
Induction Of Antigen-specific Tolerance Through Inhibition Of RelB Function In Dendritic Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,980.00
Summary
This proposal builds on preliminary data showing the possibility that responses of the immune system to antigens can be suppressed by modifying cells known as dendritic cells using an inhibitory drug. The drug appears to be able to control the ability of dendritic cells to educate the immune system about antigens. When antigens presented continuously are harmful to the immune system, they produce diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and allergies. The experiments to be undertaken specifically l ....This proposal builds on preliminary data showing the possibility that responses of the immune system to antigens can be suppressed by modifying cells known as dendritic cells using an inhibitory drug. The drug appears to be able to control the ability of dendritic cells to educate the immune system about antigens. When antigens presented continuously are harmful to the immune system, they produce diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and allergies. The experiments to be undertaken specifically look at means to prevent and reverse diseases like rheumatoid arthritis through the use of dendritic cells.Read moreRead less