Identification Of Germline Variation That Predicts Progression Free Survival Following Chemotherapy For Advanced Ovarian Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$633,156.00
Summary
Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer typically undergo surgery, followed by chemotherapy. However, the efficacy of chemotherapy varies widely, with some women responding well, whilst others are exposed to the toxic effects of a treatment that does them little good. We aim to identify the genes which explain why there are differences in response. This will lead to more individualised chemotherapy and improved outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.
New Drugs To Counteract The Side Effects And Premature Ageing Caused By Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$577,658.00
Summary
During cancer treatment, commonly used chemotherapy drugs cause profound side effects that include pain, nausea, heart problems, hair loss and can affect almost every system in the body. Even after chemotherapy treatment has stopped, cancer survivors face an increased risk of diseases which resemble the effects of old age. We are testing newly discovered anti-ageing molecules for their ability to reduce these side effects, and drastically improve the quality of life for cancer patients.
The Role Of The Acute Phase Response In Docetaxel Resistance In Hormone-refractory Prostate Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$74,365.00
Summary
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men. Chemotherapy is used in advanced disease, but is only effective in ~50% of patients. In the first year of my PhD, I identified 8 plasma biomarkers that predict chemotherapy resistance. I plan to characterise how these immune molecules cause chemotherapy resistance using a mouse model of advanced prostate cancer. These markers may allow us to personalise prostate cancer treatment in the future and identify more effective therapies.
Despite aggressive treatment, the survival rate for high-risk neuroblastoma patients is below 50%. We recently found that these poor-outcome neuroblastomas have a defect in a key drug response pathway, called the JNK pathway. Standard-of-care neuroblastoma drugs all require the JNK pathway to kill neuroblastoma cells, although we have now identified alternative drugs that do not require JNK. We now plan to demonstrate the efficacy of these drugs in neuroblastomas with a defective JNK pathway.
Improving Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma Outcomes Through Understanding Genomics And Treatment Toxicity.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,013,282.00
Summary
Oesophageal adenocarcinoma is an aggressive cancer, as most patients will not survive for more than 5 years. Therefore we need to find better ways to treat patients. In this study we will identify the DNA mutations in oesophageal cancers that were part of clinical trial. The data allow us to determine why some tumours responded well to therapy, and why some patients had serious side effects to the treatment. The results will help inform on selection of therapy for future patients.
Multidrug Resistance Protein 1 Inhibitors To Sensitise Cancers To Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$840,166.00
Summary
Multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) is often present at high levels in cancer cells, where it pumps chemotherapy drugs back out, causing drug resistance. Inhibitors that block MRP1 would increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy. We have developed MRP1 inhibitors with promising activity in cancer cells and mouse tumours and will now develop these inhibitors for clinical application and commercialisation.
Cyclotherapy: A New Approach To Stop The Side Effects Of Chemotherapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$565,847.00
Summary
Cyto-toxic chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer but is associated with significant side effects for the patient. These are due to the chemotherapy killing normal dividing cells in the gut, bone marrow and hair follicles. We will determine the potential of cyclotherapy in preventing these side effects. In cyclotherapy a pre-treatment temporarily stops normal cells from dividing and therefore protects them from the damage of subsequent chemotherapy.
Contribution Of Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells To Chemoresistance And Recurrent Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$378,940.00
Summary
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological cancer. Previously, we showed that cancer stem cells are the “beating heart” of the ovarian cancer and are responsible for drug resistance and tumour relapse. The ineffective targeting of these cells by chemotherapy is accountable for the poor clinical outcomes in ovarian cancer patients. This project will define the molecular signals involved in maintenance of cancer stem cells and develop targeted therapies against these cells.
Assessing And Optimising Anti-Cancer Drug Utilisation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$128,224.00
Summary
Cancer is increasingly common in Australia and often treated with expensive drugs tested in idealised settings within clinical trials. It is vital to collect real world data about how cancer treatments are used in Australia. This research will use routinely collected health care data to determine how anti-cancer drugs are used in the real world, how effective they are in treating cancer, and identify areas for improvement to promote effe ctive, appropriate and equitable use of anti-cancer drugs.
Prediction Of Response To Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy By Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$67,321.00
Summary
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has a well-established role in the management of breast cancer. Various roles have been proposed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the NAC setting, including its application in prediction of final pathologic response when undertaken early during a planned NAC course; the detection of residual disease after completion of NAC; and the measurement of residual tumour extent. The present study aims to determine the accuracy of MRI (relative to other imaging and cl ....Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has a well-established role in the management of breast cancer. Various roles have been proposed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the NAC setting, including its application in prediction of final pathologic response when undertaken early during a planned NAC course; the detection of residual disease after completion of NAC; and the measurement of residual tumour extent. The present study aims to determine the accuracy of MRI (relative to other imaging and clinical tests) in these clinical scenarios.Read moreRead less