Sydney Children’s Hospital receives transformative $3.15M for gene therapy that could end the need for organ transplants.
The James Fairfax Foundation has made a historic $3.15 million donation to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF), the largest gift in the Foundation’s history. This generous contribution will directly support the development of a groundbreaking new Children’s Centre for Transplantation and Research at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW).
The state-of-the-art centre will focus on revolutionising the lives of children in need of organ transplants. Professor Gordon Thomas, a Paediatric Transplant Surgeon at CHW, explains the limitations of current transplant procedures. “While organ transplants are life-saving interventions for children with serious medical conditions, they are not a permanent solution,” says Professor Thomas. “Transplants are major surgeries with long wait times, and require patients to be on immunosuppressive drugs for life.”
The Children’s Centre for Transplantation and Research, made possible by the James Fairfax Foundation’s gift, aims to be a global leader in utilising machine perfusion technology to develop new treatment options. In the initial phase, the centre will employ a perfusion machine to keep donor organs viable while researchers use genetic technology to explore methods of reducing organ rejection rates. The ultimate goal is to leverage this research to genetically repair failing organs, eliminating the need for transplants altogether.
“We are part of a collaborative team that has already made significant progress in this area,” says Professor Ian Alexander, Head of the Gene Therapy Research Unit at CHW. “Our team is at the forefront of using gene transfer technology on adult-sized organs with perfusion machines, and we were the first in the world to test this approach.”
“The new facility will allow us to maintain organs on this advanced equipment and directly test the effectiveness of our gene repair and other experimental therapies on human tissue,” Professor Alexander continues. “This significantly increases the likelihood of successful treatment when trialled in children.”
Edward Simpson, Chair of the James Fairfax Foundation, highlights the transformative potential of the Centre. “Our Foundation is committed to supporting groundbreaking initiatives like the Children’s Centre for Transplantation and Research,” says Mr Simpson. “This centre has the potential to dramatically improve the health and well-being of children facing life-threatening illnesses. By investing in cutting-edge research and technology, we hope to give these children and their families new hope and a brighter future.”
The Centre for Transplantation and Research requires an additional $1.77 million in philanthropic contributions to cover its initial five years of development and operation. Kristina Keneally, CEO of SCHF, expresses her gratitude to the James Fairfax Foundation for their leadership gift. “We are incredibly thankful to the James Fairfax Foundation for getting us started on this critical project,” says Ms Keneally. “Philanthropy plays a vital role in accelerating research and improving paediatric healthcare outcomes. However, there is still more work to be done, and we welcome additional support from other organisations and donors.”
Also read: $100M raised for sick kids by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation
Milton writes as both an occupation and a hazard. He also works on the newsletters you see on Tuesday and Thursday with articles you should find interesting.
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