Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC) is thrilled to announce the successful applicants of the Cancer Research Resource Grant. This grant supports the development of shared research infrastructure that can be leveraged across the MPCCC network to drive discovery, translational, and clinical cancer research. By strengthening collaborative resources, the CRR Grant aims to enhance research impact and ultimately improve outcomes for people affected by cancer.

A total of $300,00 has been awarded to five innovative projects, each poised to develop Cancer research resources:

Monash Children's Cancer Biobank - Quality Improvement Initiative (MCCB QII)

This project will deliver key improvements to the Monash Children’s Cancer Biobank, strengthening its operations and long-term sustainability. Activities will focus on enhancing data quality, formalising procedures, building workforce capability, and developing a strategic plan to support ongoing impact in paediatric cancer research.

Associate Prof Peter Downie, Amanda St. John, Dilru Habarakada

Monash Health

Development of a Precision Medicine Pipeline through Metastatic Breast Cancer Organoid Establishment and Molecular Characterisation

This project will develop a foundational biobank of metastatic breast cancer organoids using tumour tissue from patients with advanced disease. Organoids are laboratory-grown, three-dimensional tumour models that replicate key features of the original cancer. This resource will enable future studies into tumour biology and treatment response. The team will perform detailed histological characterisation of each organoid line to confirm its similarity to the original tumour. This work lays critical groundwork for future precision medicine strategies for patients with metastatic breast cancer, a disease responsible for the majority of breast cancer-related deaths.

Dr Thierry Jade, Dr Dilys Leung, Professor Gary Richardson, Dr Jasveena Kaur, Professor Roger Daly, Dr Shanika Amarasinghe

Monash University

Monash Cancer Donor Program

This initiative addresses a major barrier in metastatic cancer research: the lack of access to tumour tissue once cancer has spread. Through a novel, minimally invasive post-mortem tissue donation model, the Monash Cancer Donor Program enables the collection of metastatic prostate cancer samples within hours of death, with informed consent from patients and their families. These samples are used to establish patient-derived xenograft models and are banked alongside annotated blood samples and clinical data to create agenitourinary biobank. This growing resource will support molecular and translational studies into cancer metastasis, accelerate therapeutic discovery, and enhance equity of participation in cancer research.

Associate Professor David Pook, Professor Renea Taylor, Dr Mitchell Lawrence, Associate Professor Andrew Ryan, Dr Edmond Kwan, Associate Professor Weranja Ranasinghe

Monash University

Gynaecologic Cancer Organoid Program for Precision Medicine

This project will establish a new biobank of ovarian cancer tissue, matched normal samples, and blood from newly diagnosed patients. The team will generate and validate a collection of patient-derived organoids—miniature tumour models that closely mimic the characteristics of the original cancer. These organoids will be molecularly profiled and linked to clinical data, creating a foundational resource for ovarian cancer research. This bioresource will support future studies into tumour biology, therapeutic targets, and personalised treatment approaches, enhancing research capacity and precision oncology efforts across the MPCCC.

Professor Gary Richardson, Dr Antonella Papa, Professor Thomas Jobling, Dr Thomas Manolitsas

Cabrini Health

Better understanding the severe toxicities of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy in patients with blood cancers.

While CAR-T cell therapy has transformed treatment for blood cancers, many patients experience serious side effects within the first month of treatment, and their causes remain poorly understood. This project will expand the existing CAR-T patient biobank to include additional weekly blood samples during the critical first 28 days post-treatment. The goal is to better monitor and understand the onset and progression of these toxicities. By building this enriched biobank, researchers aim to lay the groundwork for future studies that could identify early warning signs and improve the safety and effectiveness of CAR-T therapies.

Dr Ioanna Savvidou, Dr Abbey Willcox, Dr Maithili Sashindranath

Monash University

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