Following an in-depth review of 12 high-quality funding applications, our world class Scientific Advisory Board strongly recommended we fund two 2023 research projects that demonstrated exceptional research quality and the potential to make a difference to treatments.  

Dr. Daniel Carter from University of Technology Sydney will study the potential for tailored treatment plans that target the specific genetic profile of individual tumours.  

Utilising genetic barcoding to target tumour profiles  

A major problem hindering successful therapy in neuroblastoma is that cancer cells of a given tumour have differing genetic profiles, and therefore differing sensitivity to chemotherapy.  

Treatments fail in neuroblastoma because minor cancer cell populations are naturally drug resistant due to their unique genetic makeup, and these cells ultimately regrow as a highly drug-resistant ‘relapsed’ tumour. To identify key genetic features that allow resistance to chemotherapy, Dr. Carter and his team will use novel genetic barcoding technology that allows them to track individual tumour cells when the cells are exposed to anti-cancer drugs in the lab.  

They will undertake a drug screen which will assess how tens of thousands of neuroblastoma cells respond to hundreds of different anticancer drugs using this technology. Using the unique cellular responses for each drug, Dr. Carter will then be able to customise optimal drug cocktails that are individualised for each tumour.  

Dr. Carter’s plan is to ultimately apply these findings as a novel single-cell diagnostic method that allows for better prediction of patient response to chemotherapy and optimised drug treatment approaches individualised for each patient. 

Achieving our Mission  

Dr. Daniel Carter's project is aligned with Neuroblastoma Australia’s mission to develop safer and more effective treatments for children with neuroblastoma. By developing tailored treatment plans, Dr. Carter hopes to improve the experiences and outcomes of neuroblastoma treatments,

I believe that with this approach, we will be able to understand the complex reasons why cancer cells can escape existing therapies. With this new information, we aim to design potent new anti-cancer therapies that improve survival as well as quality of life for kids with cancer. Dr. Daniel Carter

Donate to Fund Research 

You can help fund groundbreaking research projects to find new, better treatments for children diagnosed neuroblastoma. Please donate today. If you want to help us support research, regular giving provides constant support, even $10 a month makes a difference.