- Published:
- Wednesday 14 April 2021
The Andrews Labor Government is backing initiatives in the fight against bone marrow failure syndromes, launching a vital new biobank to conduct ground-breaking research.
The new biobank is the first of its kind in Australia and will be the next important step toward hopefully finding a cure for bone marrow failure syndromes.
The facility will collect thousands of tissue samples from patients to aid research and clinical trials and improve treatment options.
The biobank - one of only a few in the world - is an initiative of the Centre of Research Excellence in Bone Marrow Biology, launched by Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision with the aid of $2.1 million from the Labor Government.
Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision is dedicated to finding a cure for bone marrow conditions and was founded by the Riewoldt family following Maddie’s death in 2015.
The yearly Maddie’s Match has become a cornerstone of the AFL season since its inaugural clash in 2016, with St Kilda and Richmond both synonymous with the Riewoldt name.
Bone marrow failure syndromes mainly affect young people like Maddie, aged 17 to 40. About 160 young Australians are diagnosed every year and sadly, more than half die.
The government has also provided $305,000 in support to the Victorian Cancer Agency for a new international fellowship to investigate links between bone marrow failure syndromes and cancer biology.
The Australian Marrow Failure Biobank will open in May at Biobanking Victoria in Clayton.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford
“The next step towards hopefully finding a cure is the launch of this biobank, which has the potential to save lives through ground-breaking research.”
“About 160 Australians are diagnosed with bone marrow failure syndromes each year and hundreds more continue their battles, which is why it’s so important we continue to invest in this important research.”