Pre-clinical development of novel immune therapy for paediatric cancers

Dr Alla Dolnikov from Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick is researching the development of novel immune therapy for ALL.
Dr Alla Dolnikov from Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick is researching the development of novel immune therapy for ALL.

Recipient: Dr Alla Dolnikov
Institute: Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick
Funding: $480,000 July 2016 to December 2022

Working to overcome the current limitations of immune cellular therapy against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

Immunotherapy is a rapidly emerging practice that harnesses the power of the immune system to combat cancer. In this approach, the patient’s own white blood cells are collected and modified in the laboratory to express a specific molecule that can attack and eliminate leukaemia cells. However, because of the hostile environment generated by cancer cells, the activity of these engineered cells is short-lived and only a proportion of patients achieve durable results.

Read more: Behind the science | Dr Alla Dolnikov

The goal of this project, led by Dr Dolnikov, is to investigate a novel treatment that will overcome the current limitations of immune cellular therapy to achieve long-lasting results and avoid relapse. If successful, the results of this research will form the foundation for a clinical trial.