Contribution Of Tumour And Stroma Derived Cysteine Cathepsins To Breast Cancer Metastasis To Bone
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,094.00
Summary
Breast cancer is a serious clinical problem once the disease spreads to distant tissues such as lung and bone. We have identified a group of genes called the cysteine cathepsin proteases that have increased activity in breast cancers that spread to bone and we have shown this in a mouse model and also in human cancer. We will investigate the contribution of these genes to invasion and test whether inhibiting specific cathepsins can prevent spread of breast cancer to bone in our mouse model .
Identification And Functional Evaluation Of MicroRNAs And Their Target Genes That Regulate Breast Cancer Metastasis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$607,773.00
Summary
Breast cancer is the major cause of cancer-associated death in Australian women. Once the disease has spread to other organs, as occurs in about 20% of cases, our ability to treat the disease is limited and mortality is high, leading to an enormous social and economic cost New therapies for advanced disease are needed urgently. To facilitate this, we need to understand the molecular regulation of metastasis to distant organs and use this knowledge to develop new molecular targeted therapies.
Functional Genomics Approaches To Define New Drug-targets For Cancer Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,797.00
Summary
Cancer is a deadly disease that results from the accumulation of genetic mistakes (mutations) that encourage cells to divide and spread. There are some key mutations that occur in many different types of cancer. My project aims to exploit this common blueprint to design drugs that will selectively kill cancer cells, while leaving normal cells unharmed. We will identify new drug targets for the treatment of breast, colon and lung cancer and assess these targets in a variety of model systems.
Multidisciplinary Management Of Vertebral Metastases Identification Of Standardized Surgical Guidelines
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,604.00
Summary
The spine is the commonest site of cancer spread to the skeleton and often leads to severe pain and paralysis. Recent advances in surgical techniques enable removal and reconstruction of all tumours of the spine. However, surgery remains controversial because of the need to weigh up the patient’s estimated length of survival with the risks of surgery. Our aims are to develop clear guidelines on which patients to perform surgery on, and what type of surgery to perform.
It is seldom the initial cancer that kills the patient; most deaths are due to its metastatic spread throughout the body. Survival after the onset of a brain metastasis is dismal. Current understanding of cancer spread to the brain is poor and yet an ability to inhibit this process would save thousands of lives each year. Using rare tissue resources and cutting-edge technologies, this project will elucidate molecular features of brain metastases that can be exploited to generate new treatments.
The Biology And Therapeutic Manipulation Of Lymphatic Vessels In Human Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,688,743.00
Summary
This proposal is for an established team of researchers and clinicians to explore the molecular control of the lymphatic system. This network of lymphatic vessels, located in organs throughout the body, is critical for regulation of tissue fluid and immune function. This program will explore the molecules which control the function of lymphatic vessels and their interactions with other cells in the body. It will greatly enhance our understanding of the lymphatic vessels and identify molecular ta ....This proposal is for an established team of researchers and clinicians to explore the molecular control of the lymphatic system. This network of lymphatic vessels, located in organs throughout the body, is critical for regulation of tissue fluid and immune function. This program will explore the molecules which control the function of lymphatic vessels and their interactions with other cells in the body. It will greatly enhance our understanding of the lymphatic vessels and identify molecular targets for medicines designed to treat cancer, cardiovascular disease and lymphoedema.Read moreRead less
Role Of Integrin Signalling In Breast And Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$411,931.00
Summary
Integrins have an essential role in the control of mammary gland development and cell function. During tumour progression, integrins enable cancer cells to detach, proliferate, migrate and survive during metastasis. To test whether integrins regulate breast and prostate tumour progression, mice with mammary or prostate specific integrin deletion will be crossed with mice engineered to develop cancer. The effects of integrin loss on tumour growth and metastasis will be determined.
A Novel Non-invasive Diagnostic Imaging Technique Of Metastatic Cancer Using Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 2.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$187,750.00
Summary
This project aims to develop a non-invasive tumour diagnostic imaging agent based on a non-toxic protein (PAI2) that we know specifically identifies a critical marker of malignancy. PAI2 will be labelled with commonly used imaging radioisotopes. This novel imaging technique has important potential clinical uses including, determination of the most appropriate treatment for individual patients, assessing the success of such treatments, and a novel non-invasive prognostic indicator of malignancy.