$2.8m MRFF boost for vital cancer immunotherapy research

Mater Research Executive Director Professor Maher Gandhi says a $2.8 million grant awarded to his team at TRI by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) provides an exciting opportunity to trial a new immunotherapy to treat a rare but devastating blood cancer.

The ground-breaking Australasian Leukaemia Lymphoma Group Phase I study will use front-line immunotherapy to target the unique viral-immuno-biological features of Epstein-Barr virus-associated Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

EBV-associated Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is a rare and devastating form of blood cancer that has high rates of relapse and very poor survival rates. There is currently no effective treatment against the disease.

Professor Gandhi, who heads the Blood Cancer Research Group at TRI, said the five-year MRFF grant provided a welcome boost to his research.

“We want to provide a highly targeted but relatively well-tolerated therapy that eradicates disease and prevents relapse by restoring immunity,” Professor Gandhi said.

Picture: Professor Maher Gandhi

This article was republished from Mater Research. Read the original article.