Search

News & Events
New meningococcal strains bring increased risk in WAA new study has confirmed the changing pattern of meningococcal disease in Western Australia.

News & Events
The Kids researchers awarded Raine Medical Research Foundation fundingCongratulations to three The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers, who have been awarded funding from the Raine Medical Research Foundation.
News & Events
New imaging equipment to boost children's cancer researchA cutting edge cancer imaging facility will help specialist children's cancer researchers at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

News & Events
Babies at risk due to delayed vaccinationsAs many as a quarter of Australian babies aren’t getting vaccinated on time, leaving them at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses such as whooping cough when they are most vulnerable.
Research
Ion channel modulator DPI-201-106 significantly enhances antitumor activity of DNA damage response inhibitors in glioblastomaGlioblastoma, a lethal high-grade glioma, has not seen improvements in clinical outcomes in nearly 30 years. Ion channels are increasingly associated with tumorigenesis, and there are hundreds of brain-penetrant drugs that inhibit ion channels, representing an untapped therapeutic resource. The aim of this exploratory drug study was to screen an ion channel drug library against patient-derived glioblastoma cells to identify new treatments for brain cancer.

News & Events
Wesfarmers tops 2019 GivingLarge ReportThe major funder of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases based at The Kids Research Institute Australia has been recognised as Australia’s most generous giver.
Research
Targeting cytokine- and therapy-induced PIM1 activation in preclinical models of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphomaIL7 and glucocorticoids coordinately drive aberrant activation of PIM1 and suggests that T-ALL and T-LBL patients could benefit from PIM inhibition
Research
Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis elicits diverse antibody responses to key vaccine antigens influenced by the imprint of past infectionsKnowledge gaps regarding human immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes have impeded vaccine development. To address these gaps and evaluate vaccine candidates, we established a human challenge model of S. pyogenes pharyngitis. Here, we analyse antibody responses in serum and saliva against 19 antigens to identify characteristics distinguishing 19 participants who developed pharyngitis and 6 who did not.

Research
Widening the lens for pandemic preparedness: children must be seen and heardThe Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ANZPID) Group of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) calls for urgent consideration of the needs and voices of children in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in planning for future pandemics.
Research
Haemophilus influenzae remains the predominant otitis media pathogen in Australian children undergoing ventilation tube insertion in the PCV13 eraUnderstanding patterns of bacterial carriage and otitis media (OM) microbiology is crucial for assessing vaccine impact and informing policy. The microbiology of OM can vary with geography, time, and interventions like pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). We evaluated the microbiology of nasopharyngeal and middle ear effusions in children living in Western Australia, 11 years following the introduction of PCV13.
Research
Effectiveness of 2023 southern hemisphere influenza vaccines against severe influenza-associated illness: pooled estimates from eight countries using the test-negative designAnnual estimates of seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness can guide global risk communication and vaccination strategies to mitigate influenza-associated illness. We aimed to evaluate vaccine effectiveness in countries using the 2023 southern hemisphere influenza vaccine formulation.

News & Events
Finding new treatments for rare brain cancers in infantsThe WA Kids Cancer Centre has secured $1.1 million in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) Paediatric Brain Cancer Research Stream 2 to develop more effective and less toxic treatments for rare brain cancers in infants.
Research
BCG vaccination of healthcare workers for protection against COVID-19: 12-month outcomes from an international randomised controlled trialBacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has immunomodulatory effects that may provide protection against unrelated infectious diseases. We aimed to determine whether BCG vaccination protects adults against COVID-19.
Research
CD8+XCR1neg Dendritic Cells Express High Levels of Toll-Like Receptor 5 and a Unique Complement of Endocytic ReceptorsOur data demonstrate that CD8+XCR1neg DCs possess a unique pattern of endocytic receptors and a restricted TLR profile that is particularly enriched for TLR5
Research
What happens at two? Immunisation stakeholders’ perspectives on factors influencing sub-optimal childhood vaccine uptake for toddlers in regional and remote Western AustraliaIn Western Australia (WA), children aged 24 months living regionally or remotely (non-urban) have suboptimal vaccine uptake. As there has not yet been a systematic approach to understanding the facilitators and barriers to childhood vaccination in regional and remote WA, this study aimed to understand the views of key immunisation stakeholders regarding barriers and solutions.
Research
Germline Elongator mutations in Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastomaGenetic predisposition to proteome instability may be a determinant in the pathogenesis of paediatric brain cancers
Research
Opportunities and challenges of the pulmonary route for vaccinationThe respiratory tract is an attractive target for the delivery of vaccine antigens.
Research
MEIS proteins as partners of the TLX1/HOX11 oncoproteinAberrant expression of the TLX1/HOX11 proto-oncogene is associated with a significant subset of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias...