Enhanced polyamine depletion for aggressive childhood cancers

Professor Michelle Haber from the Children's Cancer Institute is researching enhanced polyamine depletion for aggressive childhood cancers.
Professor Michelle Haber from the Children's Cancer Institute is researching enhanced polyamine depletion for aggressive childhood cancers.

Recipient: Professor Michelle Haber
Institute: Children’s Cancer Institute
TKCP funding: $239,995 January 2021 to December 2023
PdCCRS* funding: $347,705
Total funding: $587,700

Improving the efficacy of current therapeutics

The overarching aim of this project is to improve the efficacy of current therapeutics and move this research into clinical trials of children with aggressive cancers.

Data from the Haber laboratory indicates that polyamine depletion is an exciting new treatment opportunity for children with high-risk neuroblastomas and paediatric brain tumours, who would otherwise have a dismal outcome.


Behind the Science: Professor Michelle Haber


In this project, Professor Haber and her team will use preclinical models to define the optimal combinations of polyamine depletion, chemotherapy and immunotherapy that can rapidly translate to the bedside.

When completed, this project will have produced considerable experimental data required for clinical trials to help kids diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma and the most aggressive types of brain tumours including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), for which the survival rate is currently zero.

Learn about Cancer Australia's Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme.