Dr. Aude Fahrer and her team have been developing a novel, low side-effect, cancer immunotherapy treatment.
Family friend, Lea Chapuis followed this research keenly for many years. Sadly, she became ill from cancer, and died, before she was able to participate in our first clinical trial. Shortly before her death in December 2016, she asked Aude, if, in lieu of flowers, mourners at her funeral could donate to this research. This fund was set up to honour Lea's memory.
The research progressed all the way to a successful phase I clinical trial of the therapy at the Canberra Hospital Cancer Centre. Results of this trial were published in 2021, in the prestigious, open-access .
Dr. Aude Fahrer鈥檚 laboratory at the Research School of Biology is continuing this work and striving to develop improved immunotherapy treatments for cancer patients. This has been made possible thanks to continued donations.
We especially thank our wonderful donors Tim Bourke in honour of his late wife Margaret Bourke and Chris Rathbone in honour of his late wife Mary Catherine Rathbone, as well as the friends and family of Lea Chapuis.
Together with world-leading oncologists at the Canberra Hospital Cancer Centre, a second trial is now being planned. The aim is to trial immune stimulants, injected directly into a tumour, in cancer patients who are already receiving standard-of-care checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies. Checkpoint inhibitors are designed to 鈥渢ake the brakes off鈥 the immune system. Therefore, by combining these with immune stimulants which turn on the immune system, the hope is that more patients will have a successful response to treatment.
Your donation will help support the continuation of this very important research.
