Children's Cancer Centre

The research laboratories of the Children's Cancer Centre are within the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and affiliated with the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics.

Proudly supported by

Australian Cancer Research Foundation has committed $1 million to fund our innovative research to make discoveries in the fight against childhood cancer.

Leukaemia Research Fund Stem Cell Laboratory

Compared to a traditional bone marrow transplant, transplantation using blood from an umbilical cord is becoming a preferred option for treating leukaemia and other diseases of the blood. However, a major limiting factor in performing cord blood transplants is that cord blood contains limited number of blood stem cells. Research in the laboratory aims to learn how we can grow cord blood stem cells to increase the number of cells available for transplantation into larger children and adults. We are also investigating whether there is a way to determine, prior to transplant, which cord blood units will grow quickly once transplanted, thereby allowing a better chance of patient survival. The current focus of the Leukaemia Research Fund (LRF) Stem Cell Laboratory is to improve the use of cord blood stem cells for transplantation and treatment of disease. The juxtaposition of the BMDI National Cord Blood Bank with the LRF Stem Cell Laboratory, all associated within the MCRI and located on the Royal Children's Hospital campus, provides a unique environment in which to carry out this research. Additional research within the laboratory focuses on the genes involved in normal blood stem cell growth and the development of leukaemia. By identifying the aberrant processes in leukaemia we can work towards developing specific therapies.