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Australian researchers have identified a potential new target for treatment of neuroblastoma, the most common solid tumour among young children, as published in prominent international cancer journal, Cancer Research.

Professor Michelle Haber AM, Executive Director, Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research (CCIA), said the findings were an exciting development towards one day finding an eventual cure for this childhood cancer.

Professors Michelle Haber and Murray Norris were interviewed by ABC. Click here to view this interview.

The history behind the establishment of Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research (CCIA) is one of both tragedy and inspiration. ABC's television show, 'Can we help?' told our story on national television by reuniting our two founding fathers Jack Kasses and John Lough. Without these two men, we simply would not exist.

Their story is one that was a reflection of survival at the time. Both of their children were being treated for cancer. One survived and the other did not. Not enough was being done about childhood cancer at the time so, with the help of Apex they raised $1 million that built CCIA's first laboratory.

From humble beginnings big things grow, we are now 160 staff and students strong and construction of our new home at the Lowy Cancer Research Centre is well underway.

Click here to share our history.

Dr Lesley Ashton from Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research will undertake a study of the late effects from childhood cancer this year.

The study, funded by the NSW Cancer Council, is the first of its kind in Australia.

The study will measure the increased risk of treatment related outcomes and estimate the incidence of illnesses in the general population. The information can then be taken back into the late effects clinics to initiate prevention and screening campaigns and provide information to survivors on health risks they may be prone to.

Dr Ashton will also be looking at genetic samples from childhood cancer survivors to identify genes that are more highly prevalent in survivors. This will assist future identification of children that may need to be treated on different drug combinations or doses.

Dr Lesley Ashton was interviewed by Channel 9. Click here to view this interview.

In neuroblastoma, the most common tumour of infants, and breast cancer, levels of the Myc proteins are commonly elevated in tumour cells.  High levels of the protein are also associated with poor treatment outcomes.   However, the way in which these proteins cause cancer has remained unknown.

For the first time, researchers at Children’s Cancer Institute Australia (CCIA), and collaborators in Italy, describe how the Myc proteins lead to tumour formation.

“Our results show that Myc proteins cause cancer by switching off genes involved in cancer prevention, such as transglutaminase 2 (TG2),” says Professor Glenn Marshall, Head of CCIA’s Molecular Carcinogenesis Program and Director of the Centre for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders at Sydney Children's Hospital.

“In addition to this, we have also shown that when the neuroblastoma and breast cancer cells are treated with a new class of anti-cancer drugs called histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), they are able to turn the TG2 gene back on, which then inhibits tumour growth.”

Professor Glenn Marshall was interviewed by Channel 7 news. Click here to view his interview.

On November 10 2007, three Executive members of Children's Cancer Institute (CCIA) got up on stage to sing at an Angels concert to raise money for their lifesaving research. They were Professor Michelle Haber AM, CCIA Executive Director and Head of the Experimental Therapeutics Program; Professor Glenn Marshall, Head of the Molecular Carcinogenesis Program; and Joe Collins, Executive Chairman. They raised $3000 for CCIA.

Unfortunately, they have not stopped singing. Please DONATE NOW to grant us silence!

Click here to view the video.