Leading-edge kids’ cancer research gets a boost

SVI’s Dr Lorna McLeman has received a welcome PhD Top-Up Scholarship for her research into Fanconi Anaemia from The Kids’ Cancer Project.

Fanconi Anaemia is the most common cause of inherited bone marrow failure with a median onset of only 8 years of age. The defective bone marrow commonly leads to development of challenging to treat leukaemia – this is fatal except for one life saving therapy: bone marrow transplant. However, transplant has risks for children with Fanconi Anaemia including life threatening toxicities of medications and an increased risk of developing secondary cancers post-transplant. Such risks would be substantially reduced by using gene editing.

Dr McLeman, Paediatric Oncologist (leukaemia/bone marrow transplant, Royal Children’s Hospital), PhD Candidate (SVI ‘s Genome Stability Lab/MCRI’s Blood Development Unit) is part of a team investigating novel gene editing technologies to correct the underlying genetic mutations causing Fanconi Anaemia. Gene editing is a new technology which uses patient’s own stem cells, collected and genetically corrected outside the body prior to being re-infused.

“I’m grateful for this support because our work is aimed at improving the outcomes for paediatric oncology patients in Australia.

“Gene editing can correct disease causing genetic mutations and we want to expand this to bone marrow failure disorders.

“There are many global clinical trials and studies in this exciting field however most are currently unavailable to Australian children – we want to change this,” said Dr McLeman.

Dr McLeman is set to receive $15,000 from the Col Reynolds Fellowship Program established by The Kids’ Cancer Project. Named for founder Col Reynolds OAM, the aim of the Fellowships is to future proof childhood cancer research by encouraging new researchers and retaining talented scientists in the field of childhood cancer research.

Dr McLeman, whose PhD is funded by Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision, is part of a talented team that includes:

A/Prof Andrew Deans, Head Genome Stability Lab, SVI

Prof Andrew Elefanty, Head Blood Development Unit, MCRI

A/Prof Rachel Conyers, Head Bone Marrow Transplant, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne

Elizabeth Ng, Team Leader Blood Development Unit, MCRI

Dr Astrid Glaser, postdoctoral researcher, Genome Stability Lab, SVI