Overview
- Garvan Institute scientists identified romidepsin as effective against neuroblastoma cells regardless of whether the JNK cell‑death pathway is functioning.
- In relapsed high‑risk neuroblastoma animal models, adding romidepsin to standard chemotherapy reduced tumor growth and extended survival compared with chemotherapy alone.
- The combination achieved comparable cancer‑killing effects with lower chemotherapy doses, pointing to the potential for fewer side effects in children.
- The preclinical results were published Nov. 28 in Science Advances and provide proof of principle without human efficacy data.
- With romidepsin already FDA‑approved for other cancers and tested for pediatric safety, the team is optimizing dosing and delivery and preparing for clinical evaluation.