BRAIN CANCER VACCINE PROJECT
mRNA Vaccine giving hope to children with brain cancer. A Robert Connor Dawes Foundation Initiative.
Pictured: University of Queensland Research Team
AIM BRAIN PROJECT
Cutting edge diagnostic tool for kids with brain cancer.
Pictured: RCD Foundation Legacy Ambassador Liv Phelan, VCGS and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Teams, RCDF Head of Research Dr Kim Wark,
ADVANCING CAR T CELL THERAPY
for children with ependymoma
Building on our previous investment in CAR T cell research in Professor Misty Jenkins laboratory, RCD is now co-funding with the Victorian Government, through the Department of a new PhD project to establish paediatric specific Ependymoma models and produce enhanced, novel CAR T cell therapies to treat ependymoma tumours in children. Ms Milie Desai has already identified and validated over six novel targets and is engineering new CAR T cells for testing. She is currently determining the optimal treatment time.
Pictured: Dr. Misty Jenkins, WEHI
ENABLING PERSONALISED MEDICINE FOR KIDS BRAIN CANCER
to be implemented in the clinic
A molecular oncologist is involved in facilitating precision medicine within the hospital and research environments. The position coordinates information from research programs which characterize the tumour at a genetic level and clinical trials in addition to standard clinical care. After co-funding this position at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, for four years, Dr. Dong Anh Khuong Quang has published twelve scientific papers, chaired many committees, contributed to the ZERO Childhood Cancer program, increased workforce capabilities and significantly increased access to clinical trials for kids with brain cancer at the Royal Children’s Hospital and other sites. Most importantly, the hospital now funds this position without philanthropic support.
Thanks to the Money Family for their support, in memory of Gracie.
Pictured: Dr. Dong Anh Khuong Quang
DISCOVERING PAEDIATRIC SPECIFIC DRUG TARGETS
to develop novel therapies
During her PhD studies Ms. Shazia Adjumain has identified an important biomarker (BCL2L1 hypermethylation) which can be used to predict which children with high grade gliomas are most likely to respond to a specific drug therapy (MCL1 inhibitor). These findings are a significant step forward and have been published in a journal, presented at scientific conferences and protected in a patent application. Shazia will formally be awarded her doctorate in early 2025 and is now working as a postdoctoral fellow in Professor Ron Firestein’s laboratory continuing to advance paediatric brain cancer research.
Thanks to the Spotlight Foundation, the Gratzer & Goldstein families and Mister Zimi for supporting this project.
Pictured: Dr. Shazia Adjumain
CLINICAL TRIALS
The RCD Clinical Trial Program funds the Australian and New Zealand Children’s Heamatology and Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) to administer and govern selected paediatric, adolescent and young adults brain cancer trials across Australia. This funding is leveraged with that of other funders allowing more trials to be conducted for our kids.
To date this program has invested $1.25M enabling a total of 248 children (including 49 Australians) to participate in two national and five international clinical trials. These include PNOC019, PNOC022, DART, CONNECT 1905, CONNECT 2108, LGG Avastin, and PaedNeoVax, some of which are featured below.
Olivia Phelan, RCD Foundation Legacy Ambassador
The Deflexifol at Relapse Trial (DART)
The DART study is testing Deflexifol®, a next generation drug candidate under development by Australian biotech company FivepHusion. Deflexifol® is an innovative co-formulation of two well established cancer drugs that are routinely utilised to treat adult cancers, and for which there is promising independent research to suggest it could benefit children with relapsed ependymoma.
In two phase 1 studies in adults, Deflexifol® has demonstrated improved safety, tolerability and activity in patients with a range of solid tumours that had exhausted all therapeutic options.
The phase 1 component of the DART study, which assessed Deflexifol® in children with a variety of different brain tumours, has completed successfully with a safe and tolerable dose selected. The phase 2 component of the study is now progressing, with leveraged support, to assess the safety and effectiveness of Deflexifol® in children with relapsed or recurrent ependymoma. The trial is opening soon across NSW, QLD, SA, VIC and WA.
RCD co-funded Phase 1 with the Kids with Cancer Foundation. Phase 2 is co-funded by the Kids with Cancer Foundation and FivepHusion.
PaedNeoVax
The PaedNeoVax study is a groundbreaking Australian clinical trial testing personalised mRNA vaccines for children and adolescents with relapsed or treatment-resistant high-grade brain tumours. Using advanced genome sequencing, each vaccine is tailored to the individual child’s tumour.
This innovative approach aims to assess the safety and effectiveness of personalised mRNA vaccines, with the goal of improving survival and quality of life for children facing brain cancer.
The trial is supported by 2024 MRFF Clinical Trials Grant (application number MRF2045405) and Providence Therapeutics. RCD has partnered with the Children’s Cancer Foundation and the Marcus Rosin Special Named Fund to contribute some additional funding.
CONNECT 1905
CONNECT1905 is a Phase II clinical trial testing whether ACTEMRA® (tocilizumab), an anti-inflammatory medicine, can help treat Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma (ACP) — a rare and debilitating childhood brain tumour.
Current treatment relies on surgery and radiation, which can significantly affect long-term quality of life. Researchers have identified that ACP tumours may depend on an inflammatory pathway (IL-6) to grow. This trial is investigating whether blocking that pathway can safely control tumour growth.
RCD cofounds this trial with Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation.
Development Investments
PhDs
5 funded since inception
Scientific Fellowships
Supported 6 CERN & RCDF Scientific Fellowship awarded by the National Brain Tumor Society
Postdocs
9 postdoctoral scientists funded since inception
PARTNERING FOR IMPACT WITH CERN
Working towards effective, targeted treatment for ependymoma
In a unique round, the Fellowship was advertised to accelerate the formation of the first ependymoma focused research team in Australia.
The project aims to develop and test an RNA vaccine against recurrent ependymoma tumours. The position will also work closely with colleagues in the University’s Ian Frazer Centre for Children’s Immunotherapy Research As part of her work, Dr. Samreen Shaikh will travel to Professor Eric Holland’s laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centre in Seattle, Washington, in the United States, to learn how to create, maintain and use validated ependymoma animal models, which are critical to the project’s success.
Together with tumour tissue samples, she will validate the vaccine and generate the necessary data to translate it into a phase one clinical trial. The project has already partnered with an international mRNA vaccine company and manufacturer to provide all the necessary translational components. READ MORE
Pictured: Dr. Samreen Shaikh
ENABLING THE BRIGHTEST & BEST MINDS TO CONVERGE
& advance global paediatric brain cancer research
Sponsorship and support for 30 local, national and internationally recognised conferences, symposiums or meetings, enabling knowledge exchange and fostering research collaborations. The funding of these key industry conferences such as the Ependymoma Science Meeting (EpCam) in Cambridge, UK, which has resulted in a number of research collaborations directly stemming from this important conference sponsored by the RCD Foundation.
We have also increased global reach and collaboration through our funding of 41 researcher travel grants awarded to Australian researchers to ensure they can attend and present at key national and international conferences.
