Laboratory & ResearchThe Laboratory - in support of each patient
Up to date cancer therapy is totally dependent on modern technology and laboratory back-up. The clinical unit is fortunate to have the support of top class facilities and highly trained staff from Canterbury Health Laboratories and the department's research programme.
Striving to enable the advances of modern cell biology to be applied rapidly for patient benefit, their role is vital to a successful bone marrow transplant.
Highly specialised equipment is required for many procedures and the Trust lobbies to ensure that the laboratory service is well maintained.
Research - working towards a cancer vaccine
The current substantial achievements in patient care have arisen from the fruits of previous research. The specialised facilities now housed in Canterbury Health Laboratories were developed in the Unit's research laboratory.
Since the discovery of DNA, the genetic code in 1948, there has been a revolution in biomedical science which continues to this day with enormous world-wide resources being directed into various projects.
The research laboratory is committed to bringing these new developments into clinical practice for the benefit of New Zealand patients.
The Unit's research laboratory has also pioneered international research into recently discovered specialised white blood cells, called dendritic cells. Dendritic cells play a crucial role in the initiation of the immune response against cancer cells such as lymphoma, breast and prostrate cancer and in transplant rejection.
Further application of this research to the development of cancer vaccines for the immunotherapy of leukaemia and lymphoma and other common solid tumours, such as bowel and prostrate cancer, is also underway. This research involves collaboration with laboratories in Australia, the USA and the United Kingdom.
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Studying leukaemia cells
Processing bone marrow
Frozen stem cells being prepared
Studying dendritic cells
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