LSI Challenge: Health

This project aims to find new drugs for a childhood cancer with limited treatment options and poor outcomes

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumours (AT/RTs) are a very rare, fast-growing cancer that begins in the brain and spinal cord, predominantly in children aged 3 years and younger. There is a major need for new therapeutic approaches for this hard-to-treat cancer. Brain tumours are particularly difficult to treat due to the protective effects of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which stops drugs penetrating to the tumour site. Using unique brain tumour models and AT/RT cell lines, Jessica Alyas is working on finding new therapies for AT/RT, focussing on antibody drug conjugates and tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target the HER family of receptors.