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Sarcoma Translational Research

We aim to discover and develop safer and more effective treatments by doing inventive and rigorous research to improve outcomes for kids with cancer.

Our team features expertise across solid cancers - including sarcoma and immunotherapy research, using pre-clinical models, and systems immunology to address high relapse rates and develop innovative therapies for childhood cancers. 

Sarcoma and other solid cancer research 

Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of cancers of the bone, muscle, or connective tissue. About 15% of cancers in children and adolescents are sarcomas, whereas only 1% of cancers in adults are sarcomas. Although many sarcomas can be cured with standard therapy, the relatively high incidence of the disease in younger people and the frequency of recurrence make the development of more effective therapies a high priority.

The Sarcoma Translational Research team aims to identify new treatments for young people with solid cancers. In particular, we are developing targeted therapies and immunotherapy approaches.  

Immunotherapy

In addition to sarcoma-specific research, our team includes researchers focused on developing immunotherapies that can be applied across a range of childhood cancers, such as brain cancer, leukaemia, and neuroblastoma. Immunotherapy is an exciting treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. While it has shown promising results in adults, there is a pressing need to adapt these therapies for children. We are working to address this gap by developing safer, more effective treatments that reduce or eliminate the need for toxic chemotherapies and radiotherapies. 

Through close collaboration across the laboratory and oncology clinic at Perth Children’s Hospital, we are discovering how to harness the immune system to target cancer more effectively.

Collaborative and innovative research 

To date, the treatment discovery approach for cancer has been incredibly adult-biased, which is reflected in the dismal number of new treatments approved for children. One important reason for this lack of progress is that in cancer drug discovery, children are treated as “small adults”. Without exception, therapies are developed in adult animal models, then tested in adult clinical trials, with trials in children only occurring later, if at all. Several exciting new therapies, including immunotherapy, are showing remarkable results for many adult cancers, with disappointing results in children. To tackle this challenge, the Centre has established world-first paediatric mouse models for all childhood cancer types, that more accurately represent the biology of kids. 

By bringing together expertise in sarcoma and other solid cancer biology, immunology, and our unique paediatric mouse models, we aim to discover groundbreaking treatments that will improve survival rates and long-term outcomes for children with sarcoma and other cancers. 

Team leader

Centre Head, Cancer; Head, Sarcoma Translational Research

Team members (19)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr Rachael Zemek
Dr Rachael Zemek

BSc (Hons), PhD

Honorary Research Associate

Dr Omar Elaskalani
Dr Omar Elaskalani

BSc, MSc, PhD

Senior Research Officer

Dr Emily Fletcher
Dr Emily Fletcher

BSc (Hons) MRes PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Jenny Truong

Jenny Truong

Research Assistant

Juliet Schreurs

Juliet Schreurs

Research Assistant

Breana Vitali

Breana Vitali

Research Assistant

Xueting Ye

Xueting Ye

PhD Student

Neha Jain

Neha Jain

PhD Student

Jorren Kuster

Jorren Kuster

PhD Student

Samantha Barnes

Samantha Barnes

PhD Student

Cenxi Gao

Cenxi Gao

PhD Student

Hala Salih

Hala Salih

Masters Student

Claudia Peh

Claudia Peh

Honours Student

Xinchi Zhang

Xinchi Zhang

Honours Student

Francois Rwandamuriye

Francois Rwandamuriye

Honorary Team Member

Bree Foley

Bree Foley

Honorary Researcher

Sarcoma Translational Research projects

Featured projects

Kids are not small adults, Identifying age-dependent drug targets in paediatric oncology

Cancers in children are very different to cancers in adults. However, most therapeutic strategies are designed explicitly for adult cancers, and then used in children if proven safe.

Developing new immune based therapies for neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a complex childhood cancer of the nerve cells and the most common solid tumour in children outside of the brain. The average age of diagnosis is 1-2 years and tragically 50% of children with high-risk neuroblastoma lose their battle within five years.

Sarcoma Translational Research

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Publications

Reports and Findings

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Anoctamins and Calcium Signalling: An Obstacle to EGFR Targeted Therapy in Glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma is the most common form of high-grade glioma in adults and has a poor survival rate with very limited treatment options. There have been no significant advancements in glioblastoma treatment in over 30 years. Epidermal growth factor receptor is upregulated in most glioblastoma tumours and, therefore, has been a drug target in recent targeted therapy clinical trials.

Potassium Ion Channels in Malignant Central Nervous System Cancers

Malignant central nervous system (CNS) cancers are among the most difficult to treat, with low rates of survival and a high likelihood of recurrence. This is primarily due to their location within the CNS, hindering adequate drug delivery and tumour access via surgery. Furthermore, CNS cancer cells are highly plastic, an adaptive property that enables them to bypass targeted treatment strategies and develop drug resistance.

ErbB4 in the brain: Focus on high grade glioma

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) consists of EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4. These receptors play key roles in cell proliferation, angiogenesis, cell migration, and in some cases, tumor promotion.

Allergy, inflammation, hepatopathy and coagulation biomarkers in dogs with suspected anaphylaxis due to insect envenomation

This was a single center prospective clinical observational comparative biomarker study that included 25 dogs with anaphylaxis (evidence of insect exposure, acute dermatological signs, and other organ involvement), 30 dogs with other critical illness, and 20 healthy dogs.

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