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“The brain has a strong defence system. But this makes it difficult to kill tumour cells. This is a big challenge.” As a young researcher in Italy, Riccardo Dolcetti could see a colossal opportunity emerging. He began to see how he might be able to harness the immense power of the immune system to save lives from brain cancer. Thirty years later, he is Professor Dolcetti, one of the lead researchers at Peter Mac. And he has a deep personal motivation to find new cancer treatments. He lost his own mother to a rare brain cancer when she was just 60 years old. Since then, the standard of care for brain cancer has changed very little. And, sadly, the chances of survival have barely improved. But Professor Dolcetti knows that treatments for brain cancer can be more effective. “When it comes to treating brain tumours, the challenge is to get the immune system to target and kill only the tumour cells without harming the healthy brain cells.” He is currently working on several research projects that promise new treatments. He’s looking for ways to stimulate the immune system in the brain to recognise cancers and kill them. It’s something that was considered impossible until recently. “Until around five years ago, we thought it was not possible for the brain to be reached by the immune system. But this is not true. We now know that our immune system can penetrate, control and regulate tumours within the brain.” This means that immunotherapies can be developed for the brain. Your kind support can help make this a reality.
This April, amateur cyclist, Sadie will attempt to break the women's world record for the most elevation gain by bicycle in 24 hours. This alone is an impressive feat. However, Sadie is currently receiving treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Following her diagnosis, Sadie was unsure if she would ever cycle again. Today she is back on her bike, determined to defy the odds and not let cancer define her capabilities. Sadie has named this world-record attempt, UpStage, and will be using the challenge as an opportunity to raise funds for Peter Mac. Read more of Sadie's story at https://foundation.petermac.org/about-us/news/details/sadies-challenge-to-upstage-cancer (link in bio) And follow Sadie's journey @upstagembc
🏮 Wishing you and your loved ones health and happiness this Lunar New Year! 🎇 Every family has its own way of celebrating the Lunar New Year, but one tradition is universal: safeguarding the wellbeing and prosperity of future generations. Dr Alesha Thai encapsulates that spirit through her work into improving the health outcomes for all people with cancer. “This year, I’m excited about spearheading a project focused on improving cancer care access for patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This project will identify key areas where interventions or service redesign can help break down the barriers that can hinder access to vital cancer care services,” says Alesha. Alesha and her team are currently enrolling their first patients, and she can’t wait to share her results. As it is for many other second-generation Australians, the Lunar New Year is an important time for Alesha to celebrate and reconnect with her heritage. She feels a strong urge to pass on those important cultural traditions to her own young son. “Growing up, Lunar New Year meant visiting family and friends, sharing meals and delicious snacks with close ones and of course, the giving or receiving of the important red packet. Now, as my husband, young son and I live away from our families, we cook some favourite dishes to enjoy together as well as try to catch a lion and dragon dance!”
What are you looking forward to in the Year of the Dragon? 🐉 Dr Lewis Au is looking forward to a prosperous new year filled with exciting cancer research achievements. He’s one of Peter Mac’s most promising clinical researchers. Lewis is working on helping kidney cancer patients receive the most effective treatment possible and improving their chances of being cured. “Cancers are made up of very different populations of cancer cells. Looking at a solid cancer like kidney cancer is almost like a mosaic. My project is about trying to find a signal – a molecule marker, such as RNA or gene expression – and using that signal to try and identify which patients will benefit from immunotherapy in the long term.” For families across Australia and the world, the 2-week Lunar New Year celebrations are a time for festivities, food and – of course – family. “As a youngster, I remember Lunar New Year as many consecutive days of visiting extended family, big feasts, and red packets. But, of course, what my parents have done for myself and my brother is to instil in us the value of family. To this day, even though I can’t always visit my extended family we make a point of catching up on the phone or video calls when Lunar New Year comes around!” Lewis was granted a 3-year Discovery Partner Fellowship in 2023, support made possible by Peter Mac’s wonderful monthly donors.
🏮 Happy Lunar New Year’s Eve!🐉 In honour of the Year of the Dragon, we’re shining a spotlight on Dr Clare Slaney. She’s a senior researcher at Peter Mac whose research into treating solid cancer tumours with immunotherapy is breaking new ground. “The dragon year is considered the luckiest year in the Chinese zodiac. Chinese astrology is a 12-year cycle, with each year associated with a different animal, and each animal representing certain traits. The dragon is considered to be the most powerful,” says Clare. The Year of the Dragon is auspicious for many, but it promises to be especially exciting for Clare and her research supervisor, Associate Professor Michael Kershaw. Clare and Michael have been working together to develop a new CAR T-cell therapy to treat cancers such as breast, lung and ovarian cancer. “In the past few years, we’ve observed encouraging effects using this immunotherapy to treat various cancers in the laboratory. In 2024, we are entering the final phase preparing a clinical trial. It is a critical year for us as we hope to bring this powerful treatment to cancer patients in 2025. We look forward to following our passion and making a significant breakthrough in the dragon year. Be bold, be brave and be powerful, like a dragon!” Clare is looking forward to kicking off New Year festivities with her family. “We usually start the celebration on New Year’s Eve. The whole family sit together to have a big meal and stay up late to watch the New Year in. We usually talk about what has happened in the previous year and what our wishes are for the New Year. “To me and my parents, the Lunar New Year means the family getting together to celebrate a new year and a new start of a better life. A lot of celebrations will happen during this time, but the most important thing is that all the family members will reunite and spend time together. It’s the bonding time for the family.”
Ready for an epic adventure in 2024? Join the Peter Mac Larapinta Challenge and make this year an EXTRAORDINARY year. Tick Australia’s iconic Larapinta Trail off your bucket list ✔️ Play a key role in supporting vital cancer research, leading to better outcomes for people with cancer ✔️ Connect with passionate Peter Mac supporters ✔️ Embrace the physical challenge and achieve something great ✔️ Create special memories that will last a lifetime! ✔️ “What an amazing trip! I got to know some beautiful fundraisers, and together we spent some time dwelling on what it means to raise money for cancer research at Peter Mac. Each person had their own, different challenges, but faced the Larapinta one with enormous heart.” – Andrea, Larapinta Trekker 2023 Hurry, limited spots available now! Find out more and register your interest by following the link in our bio!
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