Our Project and Impact
Your Support in Action.
Every dollar you donate plays a critical role in helping us to find the cancer treatments of the future, and ultimately improve the survival rates of these devastating and often fatal cancers. Without the support of people like you, it simply would not be possible. Here are some of the recent trials and projects that our donors have helped make possible.
Donor Supported Trials and Projects
i-LSTA
Clinical Trial
Project Overview
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy that accounts for more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases and is characterised by marked desmoplasia that creates a dense capsule surrounding the tumour that contributes to drug resistance due, in part, to poor drug delivery to tumour tissue.
About LSTA-1
LSTA-1 is an investigational drug that modifies the tumour microenvironment. It is targeted to tumour vasculature by its affinity for alphavintegrins that are selectively expressed in tumour vasculature but not normally expressed in vasculature of healthy tissues.
LSTA-1 is a bifunctional cyclic peptide (a.k.a. iRGD) that, based on experimental models, homes to tumours via RGD motif interaction with alphavintegrins and then transforms the solid tumour microenvironment into a temporary drug conduit via interaction with neuropilin-1. This leads to an enhanced tumour delivery of co-administered anti-cancer agents. The physical barrier to drug entry is especially prominent in pancreatic cancer and it is therefore an ideal cancer to trial the safety and effectiveness of LSTA-1.
Impact and Aims
If we can demonstrate the safety and efficacy of LSTA-1, we may subsequently apply this rationale to numerous other cancers and associated treatment regimes. The aim will be to improve penetration and efficacy of current treatment regimes in a wide range of cancers, hopefully resulting in improvement in survival outcomes for patients in WA and ultimately, worldwide going forward.
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We extend our heartfelt gratitude to St John of God Subiaco Hospital for their remarkable support of the iLSTA trial. Their substantial contribution, including over $1 million in in-kind support from their Clinical Trial Unit, has been instrumental in advancing this critical research. This partnership reflects their unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for patients affected by pancreatic and gastro-intestinal cancers, and we are proud to recognise their role in this important work.
AI WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY -
Phase One Clinical Trial
Project Overview
Hospitalised oncology patients undergo vital sign monitoring (VSM) every 3 to 4 hours. To capture patient measurements, nurses must use bulky devices (one for each vital). The monitoring task is laborious for nurses and disruptive for patients, especially at night.
Using WA-developed hospital-grade bio-bands, oncology patients’ vital signs can be continuously monitored. Continuous monitoring of vital signs is a valuable tool, supporting clinicians in detecting clinical deterioration without delay, enabling corrective interventions to improve patient care and comfort, and reducing nursing staff workload.
Data collected during Phase one will be used to develop AI and deep learning models to provide alerts related to abnormal vital signs and predict disease complications (Phase two).
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Expected Benefits of the Wearable Technology
Patient Benefits
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Improved patient safety
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Improved patient satisfaction
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Improved patient care and comfort
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Decreased variability of patient outcomes
Operational/Performance Benefits
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Improved service and workload efficiency
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Human decision-making supported by real-time data
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Improved patient data quality
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Promotes Western Australia and WARPNINE as innovators committed to patient care
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The development of a clinical pathway to contribute to the establishment of a national Biliary Cancer Registry
Translational Research
Project Overview
As with all rare tumours, guidelines are not clear-cut or well-validated, especially in the context of emerging novel approaches. Understanding real-world activity informs both where best practice needs to be promoted and where critical gaps in care exist.
With funding support, this national collaborative project can proceed to an initial research phase to establish current patterns of care, clarify current practice and clinical outcomes, and identify opportunities to improve them.
Impact and AIms
The aim of establishing current patterns of care and an agreed best practice clinical pathway is to optimise the quality of care provided to individuals diagnosed with these cancers and ensure all patients receive the gold standard of care across Australia, ultimately improving patient care, outcomes and survival rates.
