New Immunotherapy CAR-T Cell trials to run at RAH

Brain cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death in children and adults aged under 40 in Australia.

Glioblastoma is the deadliest form of brain cancer, yet current treatment options are largely ineffective. In response to this desperate need, we are developing a new treatment for glioblastoma based on a revolutionary type of ‘living drug’ known as CAR-T cells. Here, we aim to maximise the ability of CAR-T cells to enter brain tumours.

This project, funded by the NRF in partnership with the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, will be commenced at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

The most recent project funded is titled: Developing new immune-based therapies for brain cancer, specifically glioblastoma

'We will do this by studying blood vessels within brain tumours of glioblastoma patients and preclinical models, to find out what makes them permissive to the entry of CAR-T cells. Then we will engineer our therapy to take full advantage of this gateway, hence enhancing treatment success.'

Associate Professor Lisa Ebert B.Sc.(Hons), PhD Senior Research Fellow

Central Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Health -Centre for Cancer Biology

Working alongside her is Dr Tessa Gargett who is an immunologist and cell therapy specialist working at the Centre for Cancer Biology, UniSA and the Royal Adelaide Hospital. In 2013 she received her PhD in medicine, in 2019 she was awarded a SA Cancer Council Beat Cancer Early Career Fellowship and she is currently a Florey Research Fellow.

Watch the video below as she explains how this new, innovative, groundbreaking project will work: