Mantra PCH Pathology Work Station

ToyBox Australia has been a valued contributor to Perth Children’s Hospital, and Princess Margaret Hospital prior, for more nearly 20 years. During this time thousands of children from all over WA have benefited from ToyBox’s support for our state’s only specialist paediatric hospital. In recent times, ToyBox have provided significant support for the Pathology Department, funding the purchase of a Mantra 2 Quantitative Pathology Workstation.

 Researchers at PCH, led by PCHF-funded Dr Nick Gottardo, have identified that a drug called prexasertib has great potential to improve the outcomes of children with recurrent MB (medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer). However, they urgently need reliable equipment to evaluate the drug’s impact on cancer at a microscopic level. 

 The Mantra is a state-of-the-art system that includes a multi-functional microscope, digital camera, computer and associated image analysis software that would allow researchers to accurately evaluate up to seven different markers at once. A process that would normally take seven weeks in the outdated existing machine will now take only one week with the Mantra. 

 The Mantra has added capabilities which would allow the exploration of more complex biological systems, paving the way for cancer immunology, using the power of the immune system to fight paediatric brain cancers. 

 As an integral part of the Pathology team’s research, the Mantra 2 Workstation will continue to increase our knowledge of brain cancers and improve the survival and quality of life of children affected by brain cancers.